The Canadian journal of cardiology
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
A prospective trial of new versus refurbished cardiac pacemakers: a Canadian experience.
Pacemaker reimplantation in the same patient is common, and pacemaker transplantation or reuse in a second patient has been reported. No report prospectively compares the long term costs, the impact of reuse on the number of pacemakers implanted, the pacemaker related complications, the types of patients selected and the patient survival of those who receive new versus a refurbished pacemaker. The authors implanted 70 pacemakers of which 75% (52) were new and 25% (18) were refurbished. ⋯ After three years the cumulative probability of survival in the new group tended to be higher (P = 0.08) with a mean (SE) of 0.62 (0.12) versus 0.44 (0.15). New and refurbished pacemakers are similar with respect to pacemaker related survival and complications. Refurbished pacemakers effect a major reduction in pacemaker costs while maintaining health care standards.