Pain During Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Implantation

Introduction This study is to evaluate the extent and causes of pain during cardiac implantable electronic device(CIED) implantation in our hospital. Methods A prospective audit over a 23-month period using a patient self-reporting questionnaire was undertaken. Results In total, 599 procedures were reported, 52.9% for de novo pacemaker implantation and 23.4% for high-energy devices (ICD, CRT-D and S-ICD). Overall, the median pain score was 2/10 (interquartile range 2-4). In total, 61.6% (367/599) reported no pain or mild pain (pain scores 0-3/10), 27.7% (165/599) reported moderate pain (pain score of 4-6/10) and 10.7% (64/599) reported severe pain (pain score of 7-10/10) during the procedure. Significant pre-implant worry (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.22 -3.73) and higher lidocaine doses (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.11) were associated with severe patientreported pain. Conclusion Most patients underwent CIED implantation with minimum stress and maximum comfort. An important minority reported severe pain during the procedure. Optimising surgical technique and interventions targeted at reducing pre- and peri-implant worry, particularly in women and especially in those receiving ICDs warrants further investigation to reduce patient reported pain during CIED implantation.