[Pacemakers in infants and young children. A new implantation technique (author's transl)]

Long-term stimulation of the heart in young children often raises technical problems, most of which are associated with the site of implantation of the pacemaker. For this reason, a new technique of implantation was devised with the following main stages: (1) the child is made to rest on its right side, with slight posterior declivity; (2) a pacemaker electrode is implanted on the left ventricle through a short left thoracic incision in the 5th intercostal space; (3) the pacemaker itself is implanted through a short lumbar incision into the space between the posterior peritoneum and the left renal fossa; it is attached to the costal grid. None of the complications usually reported (infection of the pacemaker cavity, displacement or exteriorization of the instrument) was observed in this series of 25 young patients.