Over 10 years with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator - a long term follow-up of 60 patients

Transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) have been implanted in Poland since 1995. As the method spreads it is important to consider its long-term benefits and disadvantages. To assess survival, efficacy and complication rate in ICD patients, who received the device more than ten years earlier. Retrospective analysis of 60 ICD patients implanted between 1995-1999. There were 42 (70%) males, mean age 50.6 ± 16.4 years. In 59 patients ICD was implanted for sudden cardiac death (SCD) secondary prevention. Thirty eight patients (34 M, 63.3%) had coronary artery disease (CAD). The CAD was diagnosed in 89.5% of males and 10.5% of females (p〈 0.0001). Mean follow-up time was 75.4 ± 34.7 months. During this time 22 patients died (37%, 19 M, 3 F). Three deaths were SCD. Mean one-year mortality was 6.7%. Deaths were more frequent among males: 45.2% vs 16.7%, p〈 0.005. In CAD mortality was higher than in non-CAD patients (50% vs 13.6%, p〈 0.005). Appropriate ICD discharges in the ventricular fibrillation (VF) zone occurred in 35 (58%) patients, and in ventricular tachycardia (VT) zone - in 26 (43%) patients. Mean intervention rate per year was 3.7 for VF and 0.6 for VT. Complications occurred in 27 (45%) patients and 5 (8%) of them had no ICD intervention during follow-up. In 5 patients more than one complication was diagnosed. There were inappropriate discharges in 15 (25%) patients, 11 (18%) had electrical storm, and ICD-related infections were noted in 3 (5%) patients. During the perioperative period, lead revisions were done in 4 patients; in 3 with discharges induced by T-wave oversensing and in one with lead dislocation. Four cases of lead failure occurred during follow-up, requiring new lead implantation. In 4 patients, electrical storm (3 patients) and supraventricular tachycardia with ICD discharges (1 patient) were treated with radiofrequency ablation. Only 10 (17%) patients did not demonstrate any ICD interventions or ICD-related complications. 1. ICD interventions caused by malignant ventricular arrhythmias occurred in 75% patients with the device implanted more than 10 years earlier. 2. Almost a half of the analysed population suffered from complications and side effects related to implanted ICD and they were present in 8% of subjects without ICD intervention. Neither ICD interventions nor device-related adverse events were recorded in 17% of patients.