Work

Transvenous lead extraction and the shape of risk

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A fat-tailed distribution describes a statistical pattern in which extreme events occur more often than traditional models predict. Rather than clustering comfortably around an average, the distribution contains a higher-than-expected number of rare but devastating occurrences. This concept is widely applied in finance, economics, and risk analysis to highlight situations where severe outliers define the true danger rather than routine outcomes. Scholars such as Nassim Nicholas Taleb have popularized this framework through his work on uncertainty, describing these low-frequency, high-impact events as “Black Swans” and emphasizing that such systems require a fundamentally different approach to safety and preparedness.

Source: Heart Rhythm O2

DOI: 10.1016/j.hroo.2025.11.016

Authors: Naga Venkata K. Pothineni, Robert D. Schaller

Institutions: Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: Cardiac pacing and defibrillation studies

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,150

Funder: Education Fund