First TLE Procedure in Poland (and Second in the World) Using Vibration-Based Lead Extraction Technology

On Friday, April 5, 2024, a team from the Department of Cardiology with the Acute Coronary Syndrome Unit at the Clinical Provincial Hospital No. 2 named after St. Queen Jadwiga in Rzeszów — with significant support from the Departments of Intensive Care and Cardiac Surgery — performed the first procedure in Poland (and the second in the world) using a new vibration-based system for lead extraction.

Instead of mechanically separating fibrotic adhesions, this innovative system induces vibrations in the lead, which then loosens it from the surrounding tissue, enabling safe removal. This represents an entirely new concept in transvenous lead extraction (TLE), currently undergoing clinical evaluation.

The team successfully removed leads in two patients who had devices implanted three and five years prior. Both procedures were completed without complications or technical issues.

"We hope for the further development of this promising method and are proud to be able to help our patients using cutting-edge global technology," said Professor Andrzej Przybylski, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of Cardiology with the Acute Coronary Syndrome Unit at the Clinical Provincial Hospital No. 2 in Rzeszów.

Implantation of pacemakers and cardioverter-defibrillators is often life-saving, but like all medical procedures, it carries the risk of complications. Though rare, lead damage or device-related infections can occur and require complete lead removal — a complex and high-risk procedure due to lead adhesions to vessel walls and the heart. Until now, all available lead extraction systems relied on various mechanical or laser-powered sheaths to separate adhesions.

Source:
Department of Cardiology with the Acute Coronary Syndrome Unit, Clinical Provincial Hospital No. 2 named after St. Queen Jadwiga in Rzeszów
Photos: Archive of the Clinical Provincial Hospital No. 2 in Rzeszów