Complications
The HRS consensus statement classifies potential complications into major and minor (Box 2). Since lead extraction procedures are often performed in close temporal proximity to other procedures such as reimplantation in often sick patients, such as those with CIED infection, it is imperative to clearly define the cause of any reported complication. In various analyses, success and complication rates have been correlated to: time from implant, presence of infection, female gender, BMI <25 kg/m and institutional procedural volume.
The success and complication rates associated with various extraction techniques are discussed in subsequent sections.