Thoracic surgery in patients with an implanted neurostimulator device

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2017 Oct 1;25(4):667-668. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivx213.

Abstract

Movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease are increasingly treated with deep brain stimulators. Being implanted in a subcutaneous pocket in the chest region, thoracic surgical procedures can interfere with such devices, as they are sensible to external electromagnetic forces. Monopolar electrocautery can lead to dysfunction of the device or damage of the brain tissue caused by heat. We report a series of 3 patients with deep brain stimulators who underwent thoracic surgery. By turning off the deep brain stimulators before surgery and avoiding the use of monopolar cautery, electromagnetic interactions were avoided in all patients.

Keywords: Deep brain stimulator; Electrocautery; Implanted electrical device; Parkinson’s disease; Thoracic surgery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Deep Brain Stimulation / instrumentation*
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Equipment Failure
  • Humans
  • Implantable Neurostimulators*
  • Intraoperative Complications
  • Lung Neoplasms / complications
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Male
  • Parkinson Disease / complications
  • Parkinson Disease / therapy*
  • Pneumonectomy / methods
  • Thoracic Surgical Procedures / methods*
  • Thoracoscopy / methods*