Herein, we report a case of an 84-year-old man with atrioventricular (AV) conduction defect, needed for dual-chamber pacemaker (DDDR) implantation. During the procedure, there was difficulty encountered in advancing the pacemaker lead. Venography showed severe stenosis over the proximal part of the left subclavian vein. Balloon angioplasty was done which subsequently lead to successful pacemaker implantation. Adequate management for the dilemma of the lead placement via a stenotic subclavian vein is still controversial. However, we find the balloon angioplasty can be an acceptable alternative method in this setting.