[Cardiac pacemaker therapy. Experiences at the Surgical University Clinic Duesseldorf 1961 up to 1974 (author's transl)].

The development of pacemaker technology, indications, and the surgical techniques of implantation are shortly reviewed. The surgical group reports about clinical experiences with 3273 operative procedures using cardiac pacemakers of different manufactors from 1961 until 1974. The last period of pacemaker therapy (1970-1974) is specifically analyzed. A differentiation of the operative procedures was carried out: 804 new implantations, 818 exchange and 239 revision operations. A series of possible complications is listed up. The analysis of 100 patients (1973/1974) with a complicated course demonstrates definitely that most of the resulting problems of this very important method of medical management are caused by the surgical procedure and by the leads.