Epicardial pacing wires after cardiac surgery: an Irish cross-sectional study

Temporary epicardial pacing wires are inserted after cardiac surgery. However, there are no international guidelines on which to base best practice regarding wire insertion or removal.

Data were collected on patients following cardiopulmonary bypass and analysed in terms of use, duration of use and complications of pacing wires after surgery.

Wires were inserted in 164 of the 167 patients. Most (74%) did not require pacing. Patients were categorised into those who had aortic valve replacement (AVR) (n=42) and those who did not (n=122). Of the AVR group, 26% (n=11) were pacemaker dependent after surgery and 10% (n=4) required permanent pacemakers. Most pacing wires were removed by day 4. The only noted complication was delayed discharge.

Unused pacing wires are normally removed on day 4, but for 77 (47%) of patients they remained in place longer. Forty patients (24%) had delayed wire removal because of a policy of wire removal during business hours only. Of these 40 patients, 27 (17% of the 77 with delayed removal) had delayed discharge as a result of our wire removal policy.