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Venous thrombosis after long-term transvenous pacing in the Chinese
Insights
Long-term transvenous pacing in Chinese patients shows a very low incidence of venous thrombosis (4%). Venograms are safe and effective for detecting this complication in individuals with pacemakers.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Transvenous pacing is a common treatment for cardiac rhythm disorders.
- Long-term implantation of pacing leads can potentially lead to venous complications.
- Assessing the incidence of venous thrombosis is crucial for patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence of venous thrombosis in Chinese patients undergoing long-term transvenous pacing.
- To evaluate the safety and utility of venography in detecting these thrombotic events.
Main Methods:
- Fifty consecutive Chinese patients with long-term transvenous pacemakers underwent venography.
- Patient demographics, pacing indications, lead placement, and implantation duration were recorded.
- Venograms were analyzed for signs of partial or total venous obstruction.
Main Results:
- A 4% incidence of venous thrombosis was observed, with two asymptomatic patients showing subclavian vein obstruction.
- No significant difference in thrombosis incidence was found based on the venous access route (cephalic vs. subclavian).
- All venograms were well-tolerated, with no reported complications.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of venous thrombosis after long-term transvenous pacing is very low in the Chinese population.
- Venography is a safe and valuable diagnostic tool for identifying venous thrombosis associated with transvenous pacing leads.
Abstract:
To determine the incidence of venous thrombosis after long-term transvenous pacing in the Chinese, venograms were performed in 50 consecutive Chinese patients seen at the pacemaker clinic. There were 25 women and 25 men. The mean age was sixty-six years (range thirty-two to eighty-one). The indications for pacing were complete heart block in 16 patients and sick sinus syndrome in the remainder. All pacemakers were of the single-chamber ventricular pacing type and had been implanted for a mean period of four years (range two to seven). In 27 patients the route of entry for the pacing electrode was through the cephalic vein and in the other 23 patients the subclavian veins were used. Of the 50 venograms, 1 showed partial and 1 showed total obstruction at the subclavian vein. Both patients (4%) were asymptomatic. All others (96%) were normal. The incidence of venous thrombosis was not related to the routes of entry of the pacing electrodes. All patients tolerated the procedure well and had no complications. It is concluded that the incidence of venous thrombosis after long-term transvenous pacing is extremely low in the Chinese (4%), and venograms are both safe and useful for identifying venous thrombosis related to transvenous pacing.