Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pacemaker problems causing heart issues in a Boxer dog after implant
By Coleman, Amanda E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2012·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pacemaker malfunction due to mechanical failure of the lead-header interface.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female spayed Boxer was brought in for a routine check-up after having a pacemaker implanted three months earlier. The vet found that the pacemaker was not working properly, with issues like the heart not being stimulated correctly. Further tests suggested that the problem was likely due to a mechanical failure at the connection point of the pacemaker's lead. This issue had not been reported in pets before, and it may have been caused by a loose screw or an error during the initial surgery. The dog will need further evaluation and possibly a replacement of the pacemaker to ensure proper heart function.
People also search for: Boxer dog pacemaker problems · dog heart arrhythmia treatment · pacemaker malfunction in dogs
Abstract
An 8 year old female spayed Boxer dog, diagnosed with concurrent vasovagal syncope and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, presented for routine evaluation approximately three months following epicardial pacemaker implantation. Routine device interrogation revealed intermittent loss of ventricular capture and intermittent failure to appropriately sense. Following evaluation of chronic impedance data, failure of the pacemaker lead-header interface or lead conductor fracture was suspected. Radiographic and pacemaker interrogator findings suggested incomplete lead insertion into the device header with intermittent loss of ventricular capture and variable pacemaker sensing. We hypothesize that either the presence of a loose or cross-threaded set screw or operator error at the time of device implantation may have caused this complication. This report details the diagnosis of mechanical failure of the lead-header interface, a complication not previously reported in a veterinary patient.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23158383/