Extrusion of the device: a rare complication of the pacemaker implantation

Skin erosion caused by the pacemaker is widely documented, but the complete extrusion of the device is very rare. We describe the case of a 54-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital because of skin erosion, followed by the complete extrusion of the pacemaker pulse generator out of the subcutaneous pocket. The patient underwent a lead extraction procedure and a new pacemaker, in the contralateral side, was implanted. This case demonstrates that the early stages of skin erosion favoured by the device, if neglected, may cause more serious complications that may require the removal of the hardware.