Objective:
The aim of this report was to discuss the type, timing, and surgical techniques of permanent pacemaker implantation in a juvenile patient.
Patients:
A 17-year-old girl with Down syndrome and congenital heart defects comprised of ventricular septal defects (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) suffered from postoperative complete atrioventricular block (AVB) when she was 7 months old.
Methods and results:
An epicardial pacemaker was implanted just after the occurrence of complete AVB. Due to the pacing threshold of a ventricular lead not being good, the battery showed rapid depletion. Her generator had to be exchanged under general anesthesia every 2-3 years. When she was 10 years old, we implanted a permanent pacemaker transvenously by using cutdown, screw-in and subpectoral pocket techniques. She has shown a satisfactory outcome since then.
Conclusion:
Transvenous pacemaker implantation was safe and effective in our young patient without any complications. The timing of surgery and surgical technique are quite important for pacemaker implantation in juvenile patients.