Arrhythmia Lead Management Services
About Our Lead Management Services
If you have a pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), active management by our experienced team can help ensure the effectiveness and safety of your device.
Cardiac devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) can become infected or stop working, requiring them to be removed or replaced. In certain situations, a device may need to be upgraded.
The BIDMC Arrhythmia Service is one of New England's busiest device management centers. Our team performs lead removals and replacements using the full range of tools available, including the latest laser technology.
Device Changes
Progression of heart disease may require a patient to switch from one kind of device to another. Our team is experienced in successfully upgrading an existing permanent pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device if needed.
Lead Management
Most pacemakers have electrical leads, or wires, that carry electrical signals between the pulse generator and your heart. Sometimes the wires need to be taken out or extracted and replaced. Our physicians are pioneers in lead extraction procedures and have studied the impact of devices on the heart's structure to ensure the safety of the procedure. The team works with expert cardiac surgeons and infectious disease specialists, as needed.
Some pacemakers don't have wires or leads and are called "leadless" devices. These devices are for patients who only need the pacemaker to stimulate one chamber of the heart. They are not for people who have cardioverter defibrillators or certain types of heart malformations. Progression of heart disease may require a patient to switch from one kind of device to another.
Contact Us
Please call us at 617-667-8800 or email us to schedule a consultation or referral. If you need help managing an existing device, our team works with patients regardless of whether it was implanted at BIDMC.