"Sagging heart syndrome": a cause of acute lead dislodgment in two patients.

Acute passive fixation atrial lead dislodgment occurred due to an unexpected and marked postural descent of the heart after permanent pacemaker implantation in two patients. Sagging of the heart in these two individuals may have been related to a history of morbid obesity followed by weight loss of over 100 pounds. Lead replacement with active fixation leads was required in both cases. The term "sagging heart syndrome" is proposed to describe this clinical entity. In certain adult populations, such as in patients with a history of significant weight loss, the "sagging heart syndrome" may represent a previously unrecognized cause of acute lead dislodgment.