A technique for treating exposed cardiac Pacemaker

피부괴사로 노출된 심장 Pacemaker에 대한 처치 : 증례 보고

The management of the exposed cardiac pacemaker or its lead is a new challenge to the plastic surgeon. This complication is not rare. Coburn et al. [1972] reported less than 5 percent, but Sowton et al. [1974] showed that over a period of 19 years, in a series of 372 patients, the pacing system had to be removed because of local wound breakdown or infection in 10 percent of the cases. The methods used to treat exposure may vary from removal and re-introduction at anterior site to the rotation of local flaps to cover the exposed pacemaker. Recently we have experienced 6 times of migration and recurrent skin ulcerations without pyogenic infection overlying the pacemaker in one patient. We developed a new technique, anchoring the pacemaker to the clavicle by a wire through the hole of clavicle and by creating a pocket under the pectoralis major muscle. Then we would like to emphasize this operating method could be choice of treatment to prevent the migration of pacemaker and the ulceration of skin when complication of implantation of pacemaker is occurred.