Cardiac leads are wires connecting the heart to an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICDs), like a pacemaker. A cardiac lead may need replacing due to failure to work properly, scar tissue buildup, infected tissue around the lead, or an upgrade. Surgical extraction can lead to complications; laser lead extraction is much safer, and uses cold, controlled laser energy to remove scar tissue and remove the lead with a catheter. Laser lead extraction occurs in the cardiac cath lab.