The Potential Interference of Magnets From a Surgical Magnetic Drape With Cardiac Pacemakers

Magnetic fields may interfere with the function of cardiac pacemakers. A magnetic drape to hold surgical instruments is widely used in surgery. The use of this drape on pacemaker patients has not yet been tested. Our objective is to conduct a clinical study to evaluate the potential interference of the surgical magnetic drape on patients with cardiac pacemakers. We are testing the magnetic drape on forty patients in the pacemaker clinic. The totality of the drape is applied over the pacemaker and depending on the result, the drape is either folded in two over the pacemaker or the magnets are applied individually up to the totality of the drape, 70 magnets. Thereafter, the drape is pulled in increments of 3 cm caudally until the interference is ceased. Results are in process as we are presently actively recruiting.