Determinants of procedural outcome of chronically implanted pacemaker and defibrillator leads using the Excimer laser sheath.

The extraction of chronic pacemaker and internal cardioverter defibrillator leads is performed for a number of reasons including chronic infection, lead dysfunction, and venous obstruction. Traditionally leads were removed by traction which is associated with a high incidence of failure and serious complications. This has led to the introduction of laser lead extraction (LLE) which is a safe and reliable method with a success rate of over 90%. We prospectively examined the procedural success and safety of LLE over a two year period in our institution. We also examined whether procedural outcome could be predicted by baseline variables.