Citation

Singh G, Khemani H, Khan Z, Bansal NO (2018) Pacemaker Twiddler Syndrome - A Rare but Serious Cause of Pacemaker Malfunction. Int J Clin Cardiol 5:123. doi.org/10.23937/2378-2951/1410123

Copyright

© 2018 Singh G, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

CASE REPORT | OPEN ACCESS DOI: 10.23937/2378-2951/1410123

Pacemaker Twiddler Syndrome - A Rare but Serious Cause of Pacemaker Malfunction

Gurkirat Singh*, Hemant Khemani, Zahidullah Khan and Narender Omprakash Bansal

Department of Cardiology, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, India

Abstract

Twiddler's syndrome is a rare complication after pacemaker implantation. It is caused by conscious or unconscious manipulation at the implantation site by the patient with the result of device malfunction. It results in lead dislodgment, diaphragmatic stimulation, and loss of capture. In a pacemaker dependent patient, it can be a lethal complication. It usually occurs in the first year following pacemaker implantation. The treatment involves readmission, repositioning of the dislodged leads and suture fixation of the lead and pulse generator within its pocket. We report a case of 84-year-old female who was readmitted after 4 weeks of implantation of permanent pacemaker with syncope and diaphragmatic stimulation.