Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are medical devices designed to prevent sudden cardiac death caused by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The purpose of this review is to investigate the most novel approach via an extravascular lead by exploring preliminary data that had been published in the PubMed, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases as of October 2024. An Oxford Level of Evidence was assigned to each paper; papers rated Level 4 or higher were included. Of the 727 initial records identified, 25 were included in the final analysis: 11 articles, and 14 abstracts. This data includes analysis of multiple-center studies of efficacy, safety, and complications of such devices and therapeutic use. This review discusses the expectations from clinical applications of extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and how certain limitations may be addressed.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are medical devices designed to prevent sudden cardiac death caused by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The purpose of this review is to investigate the most novel approach via an extravascular lead by exploring preliminary data that had been published in the PubMed, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases as of October 2024. An Oxford Level of Evidence was assigned to each paper; papers rated Level 4 or higher were included. Of the 727 initial records identified, 25 were included in the final analysis: 11 articles, and 14 abstracts. This data includes analysis of multiple-center studies of efficacy, safety, and complications of such devices and therapeutic use. This review discusses the expectations from clinical applications of extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and how certain limitations may be addressed.