[Lead fracture--a still frequent cardiac pacemaker complication?]

The frequency of pacemaker complications has decreased during later periods of observations. The rate of pacing lead fractures has been reported to amount to 6.2%. According to our experience and data based on 3607 pacemaker implantations for over 15 years this retrospective study examines the following parameters: patient's data, year of implantation, interval till fracture, implantation vena, localisation of the fracture and therapeutic measures. In 1% (36 cases) of our pacemaker patients repeating operations were necessary due to lead fractures. In electrodes implanted after 1977 no break could be observed. Tested material and production methods as well as save implantation modus, avoidance of bending, coiling with a short radius and also a tied fixation ligature, can improve the results.