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Removal of temporary pacemaker after cardiac surgery in infants: A harmless procedure?

Article type: Other

Authors: Schoof, Stephan | Bertram, Harald | Thommes, Jan | Breymann, Thomas | Grosser, Urte | Yelbuz, T. Mesud | Wessel, Armin | Norozi, Kambiz; ;

Affiliations: Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical School Hannover, Germany | Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany | Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada

Note: [] Corresponding author: Kambiz Norozi, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Rd E, PO Box 5010, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5W9, Tel.: +1 519 685 8500 ext. 56062; Fax: +1 519 685 8156; E-mail: kambiz.norozi@lhsc.on.ca.

Keywords: Congenital heart disease, pacemaker, vascular tone and reactivity, arrhythmia

DOI: 10.3233/PIC-2012-020

Journal: Journal of Pediatric Intensive Care, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 121-123, 2012

Received 8 January 2011
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Revision received 3 April 2011
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Accepted 2 May 2011
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Published: 2012
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Abstract

External pacemakers (PM) via temporary epicardial leads are routinely applied to infants and children during heart surgery, which usually, after an uneventful post surgical course, can be removed without complications. We report about two infants with complex congenital heart defects after cardiac surgery (arterial switch and Mustard operation for Transposition of the great arteries). Intraoperative these patients received temporary epicardial PM wires. Thirteen and 18 days post surgery, respectively, the PM wires were removed under electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring. The patients showed acute ECG changes in terms of significant ST elevation during and after removing their pacing wires. Clinically, patients were stable and subsequent echocardiographic examination showed no evidence of myocardial dysfunction or pericardial effusion. In the course of time, patients showed no signs of arrhythmia or abnormal ECG changes. The decision to place temporary pacing wires during the cardiac surgery in patients with congenital heart defects should be considered carefully and their removal should occur under ECG monitoring as soon as the situation of the patient allows. It should be taken into consideration that a complication like this case may be related to delayed removal of temporary PM's leads.