Pacemakers ‘likely to outlast patients’ in the over-80s
But the need for reoperation is as high as one in four for some defibrillator implants, researchers say
Patients in their 80s with a pacemaker are much more likely to die from any cause than to need a reoperation for their device, an Australian study shows.
But for more complex devices such as cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) defibrillators, the odds of needing a replacement over five years from implantation are 24%, leading the authors to advise “careful consideration” for use in older patients.
The Adelaide researchers conducted a retrospective review of more than 16,500 patients in the Federal Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs database (64% men) who received a cardiac implantable electronic device between 2005 and 2015.
The majority (66%) received a dual-chamber pacemaker, while 24% received a single-chamber pacemaker.
