Key result
Electrosurgery within 6 inches of an ICD linked to EMI and oversensing.
Why the study?
Patients with ICDs undergoing electrosurgery are at risk for EMI causing oversensing and inappropriate therapies, with risk influenced by surgery location relative to the device.
Case Report
Highlights the risk of electromagnetic interference and inappropriate ICD shocks during electrosurgery, emphasizing the 6-inch safety margin.
May warrant electrosurgery distance precautions in ICD patients; case report leaves open prospective validation of risk thresholds.
Patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) who undergo electrosurgery are at risk for electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can lead to oversensing. Oversensing can result in the delivery of inappropriate therapies or inhibition of pacing. The risk of EMI with resultant oversensing is typically affected by the location of the surgery being performed relative to the site of the patient’s device.1 The distance from the surgical site to the device can be estimated by providers; an estimate of at least 6 inches from the presumed current path is used to differentiate a higher-risk surgical zone from further, lower-risk areas.
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Kaplan et al. (2018) conducted a case report in Patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) undergoing electrosurgery. Electrosurgery was evaluated. Electrosurgery in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators poses a risk for electromagnetic interference and oversensing, particularly when performed within 6 inches of the device.
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