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Approximately one million pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, and resynchronization devices are implanted worldwide each year, including more than 300,000 in the United States alone. Today’s cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are reliable and effective. However, what happens when a pacemaker or a cardiac defibrillator needs to be removed? And why would it need to be removed? Dr. Rachel Harrison, cardiac surgeon, and Dr. Sunjeet Sidhu, cardiac electrophysiologist discuss the reasons for lead extraction and what happens during the procedure. 

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