Highlights a rare but life-threatening complication of pacemaker implantation involving lead perforation into the left internal mammary artery.
A 66-year-old woman underwent a pacemaker implantation following a symptomatic pause. The pacemaker lead inadvertently punctured the ventricle during implantation, penetrating through to the left internal mammary artery, causing slow hemorrhage. There was subsequent circulatory collapse with shock. We describe this rare yet life-threatening condition. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Kumar et al. (Tue,) studied this question.