Managing large lead vegetations in transvenous lead extractions using a percutaneous aspiration technique.

Background: Treatment of patients with systemic infections of cardiac implantable electronic devices and large lead vegetations are a clinical challenge. In such situations patients potentially had to undergo open surgical extraction in the past. The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of a concomitant percutaneous, minimal-invasive aspiration procedure with the use of an extracorporeal circulation in transvenous lead extraction procedures in patients with large lead vegetations.

Methods: Prior and during transvenous lead extraction procedures lead vegetations were targeted for removal with a percutaneous aspiration technique based on a veno-venous extracorporeal circulation with an in-line filter. Clinical outcomes of the procedures were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: This innovative and minimal-invasive treatment concept was used in 35 patients with systemic CIED infections (mean echocardiographic lead vegetation size 22.6 (12-40) mm). Complete procedural success of the aspiration procedure was seen in 88.6% of the patients. No major complication related to the aspiration procedure occurred. Clinical success of the concomitant transvenous lead extraction procedures (35 patients, 83 leads) was 97.1%.

Conclusions: The presented data show that the aspiration procedure is safe and efficient as an adjunct in transvenous lead extraction procedures avoiding the need for open surgical extraction in such cases.