Extraction of a 6-year-old leadless pacemaker (MICRA transcatheter pacing system) using commercially available
Lidia Chmielewska-Michalak1, Adrian Gwizdała1, Aleksandra Ciepłucha1
1First Department of Cardiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.
Introduction:
Leadless pacemakers are associated with a low risk of infection, so indications for their removal are rare. One can expect that the dwell time of the device correlates with a more difficult removal, but it has not been proved so far.
Methods And Results:
We present a case of a patient in whom MICRA transcatheter pacing system was successfully removed with nondedicated commercially available tools, 70 months after implantation.
Conclusion:
A successful removal of the MICRA leadless pacemaker is possible, and may be safe even many years after the device implantation, despite a lack of dedicated tools. Due to the potential risk of complications, the benefits and risks of the procedure should be weighted before making a final decision.
