Background: Low EF patients have more risk factors than normal EF patients needing lead extraction. However, the safety of lead extraction for low EF patients remains unclear.
Methods: Between 2005 and 2012, we collected data of 199 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous transvenous lead extraction and compared incidence of major adverse events (MAE; death, myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac tamponade, PE, blood transfusion or pneumohemothorax ) between patients <35 EF and patients =35 EF. The endpoint of this study was incidence of major adverse events (MAE; death, myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac tamponade, PE, blood transfusion or pneumohemothorax ) after procedure.
Results: There were 38 patients (19.1%) with low EF and 161 patients (80.9%) with normal EF. All patients underwent successful transvenous removal of endocardial leads. One of 38 patients (2.6%) had evidence of MAE in low EF patients. No significant difference of MAE was found in the low EF group (2.6 vs. 3.7%, P = 0.221).
Conclusions: In low EF patients, percutaneous transvenous lead extraction could be performed safely without prolonged hospital stay.