Abstract
At our institution, we prioritize the cephalic vein cut down method for dual chamber pacemaker implantation as the first choice due to the concern about complications. If the cephalic vein is not suitable, we switch to the subclavian puncture method intraoperatively. We retrospectively compared perioperative complications between the group in which the patients undergone cut down method (group C, 139 cases) and the group in which whom undergone primary or switched to puncture method intraoperatively (group P, 121 cases). A completion rate of 81% (139/172) was observed for the cut down method. No hemothorax occurred in either group. Pneumothorax occurred in 0 and 2 patients in groups C and P, respectively. Hematoma incidence was significantly higher in group P than that in group C (9.9% vs. 2.8%, p=0.02). The cut down method resulted in fewer complications than the puncture method. Therefore, the cut down method appears to be the first procedure of choice.
