REMOVAL OF INFECTED DUAL CHAMBERED TRANSVENOUS PACEMAKER AND IMPLANTATION OF A NEW EPICARDIAL DUAL CHAMBERED DEVICE WITH CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS - EXPERIENCE WITH 7 CASES

Seven patients with infected transvenous dual chambered pacemakers hav e undergone removal of the device using cardiopulmonary bypass. There were four women and three men with a mean age of 58 years. Six patient s had localized infection in the generator pocket (mean of 4.6 previou s unsuccessful operations for surgical sterilization). Four infections were due to Staphylococcus epidermidis, two to Staphylococcus aureus, and one patient presented septicemia caused by Staphylococcus epiderm idis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The atrial and ventricular transvenou s electrodes were removed under direct vision using cardiopulmonary by pass. A new dual chambered epicardial pacemaker was implanted. The pro cedure was well-tolerated, and all patients are infection free with wo rking pacemakers after a mean follow-up of 25.4 months.