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Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Implantation and Control of Wireless, Battery-free Systems for Peripheral Nerve Interfacing
Published on: October 20, 2021
Phrenic paralysis during cardiac electronic device implantation: incidence, causes and clinical course
María López-Gil1, Adolfo Fontenla2, Justo Juliá2
1Unidad de Arritmias. Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda de Córdoba, s/n., Madrid 28041, Spain mlopezgil@secardiologia.es.
Aims:
Phrenic paralysis is a known complication of central venous catheterization, but it is not listed as a complication related to cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implants. The aim of this study is to describe the incidence, causes, clinical picture, and management of phrenic paralysis occurring in this scenario.
Methods And Results:
We retrospectively analysed data from our CIED implantation database and identified those patients who suffered phrenic paralysis during the implantation procedure. Four of 891 patients (subclavian puncture in 626) developed phrenic paralysis during pacemaker or defibrillator implant procedures. Severe respiratory failure needing ventilatory support occurred in two, being the phrenic paralysis transient in all of the cases.
Conclusions:
Transient phrenic paralysis may occur during CIED implantation probably related to the infiltration of local anaesthesia in the subclavian area. Mechanism, prevention, and management are discussed.
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