What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Case Report. Population: Delayed pacemaker lead perforation (n=1). Intervention: Emergency surgical repair and temporary epicardial pacing. Primary outcome: Clinical recovery.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The case examines a rare cardiac perforation complication following pacemaker implantation that requires surgical intervention.

April 19, 2026CureusOpen Access

Left Ventricular and Lung Perforation Caused by a Pacemaker Lead Requiring Emergency Surgical Repair in a Nonagenarian

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Key result

Emergency surgical repair successfully manages delayed LV and lung perforation by a pacemaker lead.

Why the study?

Delayed left ventricular free-wall pacemaker lead perforation with pulmonary extension is exceptionally uncommon, potentially life-threatening, and diagnostically challenging, especially when pericardial effusion is absent.

Population

A 91-year-old man with left ventricular and lung perforation after dual-chamber pacemaker implantation

Design

Case report

Follow-up

Three months

Authors

NSNikoleta StanitsaEvangelismos Hospital VPViktor PanagiotakopoulosEvangelismos Hospital ETEmmanouil TempelisEvangelismos Hospital

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Clinicians should suspect delayed perforation despite absent effusion in symptomatic pacemaker patients; hypothesis-generating for rare pulmonary extension.

Key Points

The case examines a rare cardiac perforation complication following pacemaker implantation that requires surgical intervention.
Observation of delayed cardiac perforation in a 91-year-old patient
Use of computed tomography to diagnose complications
Full median sternotomy to repair the perforation
Placement of temporary epicardial pacing wires for postoperative support
Definitive pacemaker implantation after stabilization
Successful surgical repair of left ventricular and pulmonary structure perforation
No clinical signs of infection prior to reimplantation
Patient remained asymptomatic with normal device function at three-month follow-up

Study Design

Type

Case Report (n=1)

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Population

A 91-year-old man with symptomatic high-grade atrioventricular conduction disease/bradyarrhythmia who underwent dual-chamber pacemaker implantation.

Intervention

Emergency surgical repair via full median sternotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass, including lead withdrawal, transection, left ventricular perforation repair with polypropylene sutures, temporary epicardial pacing, and subsequent definitive permanent pacemaker reimplantation.

Outcome

Clinical stabilization, successful repair of left ventricular perforation, and restoration of dual-chamber pacing.

Delayed pacemaker lead perforation can present with clinical deterioration even without pericardial effusion, and can be successfully managed with emergency surgical repair and temporary epicardial pacing in very elderly patients.

Limitations

Exact commercial model of the pulse generator and leads were not retrievable from the outside institution
Original chest radiographs and lung-window CT reconstructions were unavailable for submission
Exact commercial model of the pulse generator and leads were not retrievable
Original chest radiographs and additional lung-window CT reconstructions were unavailable
Exact drug regimen and infusion doses were not completely available in the transferred documentation

Cite This Study

Stanitsa et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Delayed pacemaker lead perforation (n=1). Emergency surgical repair and temporary epicardial pacing was evaluated on Clinical recovery. Emergency surgical repair with temporary epicardial pacing successfully managed a rare delayed left ventricular and lung perforation by a pacemaker lead in a 91-year-old man.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e47220010ef96374d8e47c https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.107215

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Implication

Clinicians should suspect delayed perforation despite absent effusion in symptomatic pacemaker patients; hypothesis-generating for rare pulmonary extension.

Left Ventricular and Lung Perforation Caused by a Pacemaker Lead Requiring Emergency Surgical Repair in a Nonagenarian

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

Cite This Study

Left Ventricular and Lung Perforation Caused by a Pacemaker Lead Requiring Emergency Surgical Repair in a Nonagenarian

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider