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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffThe procedure to implant an ICD has some risks, but they are rare. Risks of the procedure to implant an ICD include:
- Infection at the site where your ICD was implanted
- Allergic reaction to the medications used during the procedure to implant your ICD
- Swelling, bleeding or bruising where your ICD was implanted
- Damage to the vein where your ICD leads are placed
- Bleeding around your heart, which can be life-threatening
- Blood leaking through the heart valve where the ICD lead is placed
References
- Epstein AE, et al. ACC/AHA/HRS 2008 Guidelines for device-based therapy of cardiac rhythm abnormalities. Circulation. 2008;117(21):e350-408.
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11227. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
- Arnsdorf MF, et al. General principles of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
- Arnsdorf MF, et al. Role of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for the secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
- Healy J, et al. Life and death after ICD implantation. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;359(10):1058-1059.
- Kleemann T, et al. Annual rate of transvenous defibrillation lead defects in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators over a period of >10 years. Circulation 2007;115(19):2474-2480.
- Epstein AE, et al. Addendum to "Personal and public safety issues related to arrhythmias that may affect consciousness: Implications for regulation and physician recommendations: A medical/scientific statement from the American Heart Association and North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology." Circulation. 2007;115(9):1170-1176.
- Sljapic TN, et al. Driving restrictions in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
- Arnsdorf MF, et al. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: Patient follow-up. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
