Extraction of old pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator leads by laser sheath versus femoral approach.

Background: Some operators routinely extract chronically implanted transvenous leads from a femoral, whereas others prefer a superior approach. This prospective study compared the safety and effectiveness of laser sheaths versus femoral snare extractions.

Methods And Results: The single-center study comprised 101 patients referred for unequivocal indications to extract > or =1 transvenous lead(s).