Local device infection is a serious complication, especially in neonates. Complete device removal is the gold standard treatment for cardiac device infection; however, in selected cases alternative strategies could be adopted. We describe a case of a 14-day-old neonate, weighing 2.5kg, who had undergone epicardial double chamber pacemaker implantation for a congenital complete atrioventricular block. The generator pocket was created in the epigastric area below the rectus abdominis. At six days after implantation, pocket infection was found; blood cultures and the transoesophageal echocardiogram were normal. Due to the low weight of the neonate, and the limited possibility of finding a new comfortable site for housing the generator far from the infected area, we opted for a conservative strategy. We successfully applied a combination of antibiotic therapy, a vacuum-assisted wound closure system (KCI, Germany) for 40 days, and then skin transfer flap from the right flank without device removal. At one-year follow-up there were no local or systemic signs of infection.
Keywords: CHD; cardiac device infection; complications; congenital heart disease; local device infection; neonate; pacemaker; paediatric; surgery; ulcer; wound; wound care; wound healing; wound infection.