Running wires to the left side of the heart is a notorious weakness of advanced pacemakers and heart-rhythm devices.
Such wires may fracture, decay or lead to infection. Sometimes do-over procedures are needed to place them in a narrow vein outside the heart muscle. Misplaced wires near the left heart may trigger hiccups by stimulating the nerve that controls the diaphragm, or deliver energy to damaged tissue that doesn’t respond to the therapy.
