What Is a Pseudocapsule in a Pacemaker Pocket?

A pseudocapsule is a tumorous growth with thick walls. If one grows inside the pocket where a pacemaker is located it can be dangerous, and in some cases, fatal.

Complications

• Some pseudocapsules in pacemaker pockets may be a result of an old pacemaker being removed and the old generator pocket not being irrigated properly before a new version is installed. Even if the old pocket is irrigated properly, some pacemakers generate air in the pocket and cause a pseudocapsule.

Is Removal an Option?

• Some research shows that the pseudocapsule may not be entirely removable. In these patients, the percentage of tumorous regrowth is approximately 40 percent. When the psuedocapsule is totally removed, there is less than 10 percent chance a tumor will return.

Pacemaker Materials May Contribute

• Sometimes the metal leads or the material of the pacemaker itself may lead to growth of tissue and scarring and form a pseudocapsule.

Other Places on the Body

• A pseudocapsule can grow anywhere there is tissue vulnerable to a tumor. This includes the pectoral muscle lining, where pacemakers are routinely placed, as well as the liver, brain and elsewhere.

Warning

• As more data becomes available, more is understood about pseudocapsules in pacemaker pockets. It is important to read up-to-date developments about it to learn about improvements made to the pacemaker in terms of material and procedure.