Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Right- versus left-sided transvenous lead extraction: Procedural complexity, complications, outcomes, and the role of bilateral procedures
Authors' conclusion
RS TLE is associated with increased complexity driven primarily by bilateral systems and lead-related factors, factors rather than implantation side itself, without adversely affecting clinical or long-term outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Consecutive patients undergoing transvenous lead extraction (TLE) of right-sided (RS) or left-sided only (LS) implanted leadsconsecutive patients undergoing TLE · RS (at least 1 RS lead) 121 · LS leads only 4,167 · RS unilateral 76 · RS bilateral 45
- Participants
- 4,288 patients
- Comparison
- TLE for RS and bilateral-sided vs left-sided only implanted leads
- RSn = 121
- LSn = 4,167
Methodological details1:2 matching for lead type and age of the oldest extracted lead
- 1:2 matching for lead type and age of the oldest extracted lead
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Abandoned leads
Further findings
Lead dwell time
Single-lead dilatation time
Technical difficulties
| Outcome | RS | LS |
|---|---|---|
| Change of venous access | 27% | 4% |
Technical difficulties
- Greater use of advanced extraction tools with RS
Clinical success and long-term survival
- Comparable between groups
Bilateral procedures (subgroup)
- Most complex subgroup, associated with lower procedural success
Original publication
Right- versus left-sided transvenous lead extraction: Procedural complexity, complications, outcomes, and the role of bilateral procedures. Heart Rhythm. Published 8 July 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it