Transvenous pacing leads: increased risk of systemic thromboemboli in patients with intracardiac shunts

摘要

An indication for a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in a patient with an intracardiac shunt requires a balancing of the risks and benefits associated with a transvenous approach versus an epicardial approach; both methods suffer from limitations. The main limitation of transvenous leads is the potential risk of paradoxical systemic thromboemboli; however, the actual magnitude of this risk is unknown. OBJECTIVE To define the risk of systemic thromboemboli associated with transvenous pacing leads in patients with intracardiac shunts.