Complications and death occur much more frequently than expected in transvenous lead extractions for infections related to cardiac implantable electronic devices (IEDs), a US study reveals.

Researchers analysed data from the US National Inpatient Sample to investigate the rates of major adverse events in patients admitted for lead extraction for device-related infections.

More than 60,000 patients underwent such a procedure during the study period (2003-2015), the authors reported in JACC Clinical Electrophysiology.

At least one major adverse event occurred in 10.4% of procedures, and the all-cause in-hospital mortality rate was 4.1%.