[Pacemaker implantation inthe pleural cavity (author's transl)]

Among the group of patients that need a cardiac pacemaker due to different clinical problems, there is a small number that require the implantation of the generator in areas of the body other than the subcutaneous or subaponeurotic pockets. These situations may be due to continuous infections of the pocket or in occasions because of the potential danger that represents the breaking of the electrode catheter when it is superficially located. It can also be caused by generator displacements, which are normally of traumatic origin although in some patients it can be caused by excessive physical effort. We describe four cases, where clinical conditions made necessary the generator implantations in the left pleural cavity. Indications, complications, and results are hereby analyzed, describing surgical technics, mentioning that this method is an alternative one that can solve the case of multiple re-implantations due to body rejection, infections, or physical trauma.