Leads removed anyone??
- by climber
- 2011-06-20 02:06:46
- Batteries & Leads
- 2058 views
- 6 comments
Hi,
Has anyone out there ever had their leads removed, for any reason? If yes, how did they (hospital) go about removing the leads? Are you ok afterwards etc?
Thanks,
Gary UK.
6 Comments
Lead Removal
by SMITTY - 2011-06-20 03:06:27
Hello Climber,
The following is something I got from the Internet some time ago when the Dr started talking about having to remove or replace one of my leads.
Pacemaker Lead Extraction: A lead is a thin, flexible wire that is initially inserted through a vein and into the heart muscle. From the pacemaker or ICD, energy is delivered through the lead and into the heart to regulate heart rhythm. Two to three leads are used to connect the pacemaker or ICD to the patient's heart.
Because of damage, obstruction, infection, or age, a lead may need to be removed (extracted). Over time, scar tissue grows over the leads, making them more difficult to remove compared to when they were first inserted. To remove a lead, a sheath (tube) is threaded around the existing lead, and inserted through the vein and into the heart muscle. The sheath aids in freeing the lead of any scar tissue that had grown around it. While still inside the sheath, the lead is then pulled out.
Sometimes a laser is required to remove excess scar tissue that had grown around the lead. More information on Pacemaker Lead Extraction using Excimer Laser is below.
Pacemaker Lead Extraction Using Excimer Laser
An alternative, and potentially easier and less traumatic, method of removing pacemaker leads is by the use of an excimer laser. The device, enclosed within a tube (sheath), uses relatively cool laser energy to vaporize the scar tissue surrounding a pacemaker lead, thereby freeing the lead. The PLEXES (pacing lead extraction with the excimer sheath) trial is a study conducted to evaluate the safety and efficiency of pacemaker lead extraction with an excimer laser.
One of the members posted a schematic that shows the position of a pacemaker and the leads. Take a look at that and it will give you a bettter visualization of how a lead is removed. To see the schematic go to the upper left corner of the home page and click on Member Gallery. When that comes up put in the name Juan.
Good luck,
Smitty
8 months
by Creaky - 2011-06-20 09:06:33
My leads were in for only 8 months and they couldn't pull it out.
they said
by Creaky - 2011-07-03 12:07:20
the lead was scarred into the vein. It would have required a laser extraction which they are not equipped to do in that hospital.
Also, there is some risk to that procedure even though it is pretty common nowadays.
Checked with another cardiologist and he agreed that if the lead didn't come out with an easy tug, it was best to leave it alone.
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by Tracey_E - 2011-06-20 03:06:22
This has been discussed many times, do a search for extraction to find the old posts. If your leads are less than year old, they can simply pull them out. After a year, they need a laser sheath and you'll want a specialist to do it.