Permanent cardiac pacing with sutureless myocardial electrodes: experience in first one hundred patients.

This report concerns our experience with a sutureless myocardial lead which we have used in 103 patients for establishment of permanent cardiac pacing. The electrode was inserted through a subxiphoid approach in all patients. Results to date indicate that this technique compares favorably with the presently popular transvenous technique as far as immediate or long-term morbidity is concerned. Complications were related entirely to pericardiotomy; no lead failure was seen during a maximum follow-up period of four years.