Journal of cardiology
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Journal of cardiology · Sep 2013
Initial experience using Excimer laser for the extraction of chronically implanted pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads in Japanese patients.
Given the exponential growth in cardiac device implantations, the need for less invasive lead extraction is increasing. The Excimer laser was approved for lead removal in Japan in 2010. The present study reports the initial experience using this novel technique to extract chronically implanted pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads from Japanese patients. ⋯ Laser sheaths appear to provide a feasible and effective means of extracting chronically implanted pacemaker and ICD leads in Japanese patients.