The subcutaneous ICD is placed with no leads inside the heart. The device itself is placed under the skin along the rib cage below the left armpit, rather than in the standard location near the collarbone. The lead that is connected to the device is tunneled under the skin along the left side of the sternum rather than inside the heart.
Modified from:
Al-Khatib SM, Friedman P, Ellenbogen KA. Defibrillators: Selecting the Right Device for the Right Patient. Circulation 2016; 134:1390.
