Thoracoscopic implantation of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

(Chest 1993; 103:271-72) T he implantable cardioverter defibrillator (lCD) has become accepted treatment for the management of certain malignant ventricular arrhythmias. ‘ Implantation ofthe lCD usually requires an anterolateral thoracotomy through which the patch electrodes and sensing electrodes are placed, in either an intraor an extrapericardial position, although subcostal and subxiphoid approaches are also used. This communication describes how a video-linked thoracoscopic system can be employed to implant an lCD.