Late unexpected complete fracture of a right ventricular lead still capturing the myocardium

Abstract

A 72-year-old man presented for routine dual chamber pacemaker interrogation 13 years following insertion for sick sinus syndrome. Increased noise, impedance and threshold of the right ventricular (RV) lead were identified. RV capture was maintained with an overall RV pacing burden of 47%. A routine generator replacement was scheduled alongside RV lead replacement. Fluoroscopy at the start of the procedure revealed an unexpected striking fracture of the RV pacing lead with complete separation of the proximal and distal portions within the RV. The patient was asymptomatic and described no predisposing factors. He underwent implantation of a new ventricular lead and generator and has remained well. This case demonstrates clear RV lead fracture as a late complication of pacemaker implantation despite maintained capture. This emphasises the need for a chest X-ray when a change in device parameters is noted at device interrogation even in the absence of symptoms.

Keywords: cardiovascular medicine; pacing and electrophysiology.