Complications and follow-up study of 75 pacemaker implants in 54 patients done since 1966 were reported. The series included 24 males and 30 females. The age ranged from 11 months to 79 years with an average of 50 years. High grade A-V block was present in 48 patients, S-A block in 4 and tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome in 2. Stokes-Adams seizures were noted in 46 patients, heart failure in 6 and chest pain in 2. Endocardial leads were used in 45 patients and epicardial leads in 10. Fixed rate pacemaker were used in 14 patients, demand pacemaker in 51 and P wave synchronous pacemaker in 1. Endocardial leads and demand pacemarkers were used as a rule since 1971. Complications were noted 27 times in 19 patients, which consisted of 4 generator failure, 4 electrode trouble and miscellaneous complications related to patient's condition. Generator failure consisted of 3 early exhaustion of mercury cells and one runaway pacemaker. These were all relieved with emergency replacement of generators. Electrode trouble consisted of 3 displacement of endocardial electrode and one fracture of epicardial electrade. Complications related to patient's condition, such as twitching of diaphragm, wound infection, ventricular fibrillation, pulmonary emboli were seen 19 times in 15 patients. Death occured in 9 partients and 5 of them were unrelated to pacemaker implantation. Follow up of surviving patients comprises 93 years. Rehabilitation of survivors was excellent except 3 patients who were still in NYHA 2 because of other reasons.
