Combination of a leadless pacemaker and subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy for a Japanese patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Abstract

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S‐ICD) system was developed for defibrillation therapy that does not affect the heart and vasculature. S‐ICD is preferred over transvenous ICD for patients with a history of recurrent infection presenting with life‐threatening rhythms. Patients with bradycardia pacing indications are excluded from S‐ICD therapy, as S‐ICD lacks the capability of defibrillation in this patient group. Implantation of an S‐ICD with a leadless pacemaker (LP) was proposed to overcome this issue. We describe the first case of successful implantation of S‐ICD and LP in a Japanese patient with a history of recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis.