(1) Background: Early reintervention increases the risk of infection of cardiac implantable
electronic devices (CIEDs). Some operators therefore delay lead repositioning in the
case of dislocation by weeks; however, there is no evidence to support this practice.
The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the timing of reoperation on infection
risk. (2) Methods: The data from consecutive patients undergoing lead repositioning
in two European referral centers were retrospectively analyzed. The odds ratio (OR)
of CIED infection in the first year was compared among patients undergoing early (≤1
week) vs. delayed (>1 week to 1 year) reoperation. (3) Results: Out of 249 patients
requiring CIED reintervention, 85 patients (34%) underwent an early (median 2 days)
and 164 (66%) underwent a delayed lead revision (median 53 days). A total of nine
(3.6%) wound/device infections were identified. The risk of infection was numerically
lower in the early (1.2%) vs. delayed (4.9%) intervention group yielding no statistically
significant difference, even after adjustment for typical risk factors for CIED infection
(adjusted OR = 0.264, 95% CI 0.032–2.179, p = 0.216). System explantation/extraction
was necessary in seven cases, all being revised in the delayed group. (4) Conclusions:
In this bicentric, international study, delayed lead repositioning did not reduce
the risk of CIED infection.
