A Novel Method for Epicardial Defibrillator Lead Placement in Young Children: Coil Between the Great Arteries

Abstract

The primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death resulting from malignant arrhythmia, channelopathy, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy often requires the implantation of automatic internal cardiac defibrillators (AICDs) in the pediatric population. In young patients, the small size of the systemic veins, complex anatomy of congenital heart disease, and body habitus often preclude safe and durable transvenous placement of the AICD coil, requiring innovative methods to circumvent this problem. This report describes the technique used at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego/UCSD for the epicardial placement of an ICD system with a transvenous ICD coil placed between the aorta and pulmonary artery, thereby producing a stable location and excellent coil-to-can vector for successful defibrillation.