All Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Are Not Programmed Equal: A Case Report of Pseudomalfunction

As the population ages, the need for anesthesiologists to manage complicated implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) has increased. We present a case of hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia occurring during a transcatheter aortic valve replacement where magnet removal from the ICD did not result in the expected tachytherapies. When managing patients with an ICD, we emphasize preoperative placement of external defibrillator pads and prompt use of external shocks rather than relying on the ICD to manage hemodynamically unstable tachyarrhythmias.