Cardiologists at General Hospital of Mexico in Mexico City safely implanted more than 20 second-hand pacemakers into patients from 2011 to 2017, according to a study presented at the 30th Mexican Congress of Cardiology held Nov. 2 to Nov. 5 in Guadalajara.
Families of deceased patients donated pacemakers and batteries to the hospital, so the devices could be repurposed for other patients. After confirming the devices still worked properly, hospital staff cleaned them with enzymatic soap and placed them in a sterilization machine for 38 minutes. From 2011 to 2017, surgeons implanted reused pacemakers into 25 patients and reused batteries into eight patients. Physicians detected no complications during six-month, post-surgical follow-ups.
"This was a small study but it shows that with a thorough and standardized sterilization process, explanted pacemakers with a battery life of more than six years can be reused safely," said Dr. Carlos Gutiérrez, a cardiologist at the hospital. "This provides an effective option for patients who cannot afford a new device or a replacement battery. This practice could be implemented in many other centers that have equipment to sterilize and reprogram pacemakers. We also need to promote the donation of pacemakers with little use from deceased patients."
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