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Updated: Dec 27, 2025
Anatomical Reconstructions of the Human Cardiac Venous System using Contrast-computed Tomography of Perfusion-fixed Specimens
Published on: April 18, 2013
Proposed treatment algorithm for cardiac device-related subclavian vein stenosis: a case series
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, 138 Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
Background:
Subclavian vein obstruction may occur in patients with pacemaker leads, which may make the implantation of new pacemaker leads difficult.
Case Summary:
We report two cases in which upgrading to cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker was challenging due to total central vein occlusion. In the first case, a 78-year-old woman with permanent pacemaker implantation, 5 years ago, was successfully treated by balloon venoplasty. In the second case, balloon venoplasty was unsuccessful in a 46-year-old woman who has received twice single-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, 12 years and 5 years ago, due to vessel crowding, so a contralateral side puncture, along with a tunnel technique, was performed to solve this problem.
Discussion:
Cardiac implantable electronic device-related subclavian vein stenosis can present a challenge to common cardiac resynchronization therapy device upgrades in the absence of appropriate techniques.
