Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute (Miller Family) Outcomes

In 2023, Cleveland Clinic performed 516 pacemaker and 347 implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implants, for a total of 863 procedures with low rates of complications. The device-related infection rate within 90 days of implant was 0.6%. The overall complication rate for these implanted device procedures was 2.9%.ᵃ There were no procedure-related deaths.

Electrophysiologists at Cleveland Clinic perform a high number of lead extractions. Many of these patients have complex conditions that result in referral to Cleveland Clinic physicians. Leads may need removal because of malfunction, blocked blood vessels, or infection. In most cases, the leads can be removed without opening the chest or heart. A multidisciplinary approach is utilized to minimize the risk for this procedure.

A total of 829 lead extraction procedures were performed to remove 1478 leads at Cleveland Clinic from 2019 through 2023. The overall clinical success rateᵃ was 95.66%. In-hospital mortalityᵇ was 0.12% vs the benchmark¹ of 1.2%.

Cleveland Clinic was the first hospital in the country to integrate a patient database for pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator follow-up with electronic medical records. This innovative approach to follow-up allows staff to keep track of patients’ health conditions regardless of the patient's location. Remote monitoring is also associated with increased longevity and decreased need for in-person follow-up.

The Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute uses the MyChart® function in Epic, Cleveland Clinic’s electronic medical record system, to quickly notify patients of their device status.

In 2023, Cleveland Clinic doctors performed 519 secondary pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implants. Secondary implant refers to the replacement of a pacemaker or ICD generator, or upgrade of an existing device. The complication rates for all procedures were below the benchmark rates.