Sbragi, S, Parollo, M, Segreti, L, Del Corso, A, Carluccio, M, Di Cori, A, Barletta, V, Mazzocchetti, L, Paperini, L, De Lucia, R, Viani, S, Canu, A, Grifoni, G, Cellamaro, T, Branchitta, G, Soldati, E, and Zucchelli, G
A 66 year old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy, carrier of CRT–D device in secondary prevention since 2013 and a mitralic mechanical prosthesis, suffered of CIED infection, confirmed by PET imaging exam. She was scheduled in our Hospital Unit for transvenous lead extraction. The procedure was performed by the subclavian approach, and the transvenous lead extraction was staged using mechanical telescopic sheats. After the extraction of the atrial and ventricular leads, the advance of the sheats was hampered by tenacious adherences along the site of vascular subclavian access of the coronary sinus lead. Firstly the portion of the lead running inside the coronary sinus was retracted with a pigtail by femoral vein approach. The inability to pass over the tenacious adherences at the point of the subclavian vein access were overcome expanding the surgical field with the help of the Vascular Surgeon, finding out that the adherence was determined by the presence of an osteophyte embracing the lead to the clavicle. The osteophyte was then surgically removed and the lead was finally extracted by jugular vein access. In this case the CIED leads were implanted using a intrathoracic subclavian venous access, where the vein lies behind the medial region of the clavicle. This approach could rarely lead to a periosteal penetration during needle advance that can generate osteophytes between the lead and the bone. In those circumstances the transvenous lead extraction could become extremely complicated, whatever technique is used.