Cardiovascular implantable electronic device function and longevity at autopsy: an underestimated resource.

When a protocol for systematic and routine postmortem CIED retrieval, interrogation, reprogramming, and analysis was used, we noted that >60% of pacemakers and >50% of defibrillators demonstrated normal functional status with projected longevities >7 years on average. Formation of a national hospital-based "CIED donor network" would facilitate larger scale charitable efforts in underserved countries.