Annual rate of transvenous defibrillation lead defects in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators over a period of >10 years.

Implantable transvenous cardioverter-defibrillators.

BACKGROUND Implantable transvenous cardioverter-defibrillators offer a significant opportunity to decrease procedural morbidity and medical costs in the care of patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias who otherwise would have required a sternotomy or thoracotomy for device insertion. The purpose of this study was to examine prospectively the safety, efficacy, and limitations asso...

A simplified, single-lead unipolar transvenous cardioversion-defibrillation system.

BACKGROUND Transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators provide significant advantages in the treatment of patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. However, present technology requires considerable electrophysiology expertise, multiple incisions, and long operative times for successful implementation. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we present a prototype of a new, ea...

Is defibrillation testing necessary for implantable transvenous defibrillators?: defibrillation testing is necessary at the time of implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation.

A permanent transvenous lead system for an implantable pacemaker cardioverter-defibrillator. Nonthoracotomy approach to implantation.

A transvenous lead system for implantable defibrillators would obviate a surgical thoracotomy and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with implantation. We evaluated the clinical performance of a new nonthoracotomy lead system that included a defibrillation lead in the coronary sinus. At the time of defibrillator implantation, transvenous defibrillation leads were inserted percutaneou...

Transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads: the weakest link.

Transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead development was an important advance in arrhythmia management. Their evolution has been critical to the wide acceptance of ICDs for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death. Indeed, it is unlikely that the 20-fold increase in annual ICD implants observed during the past 15 years would have o...