A method of interconnecting a conductor and a hermetic feedthrough of an implantable medical device includes welding a lead to a pad on a feedthrough. The feedthrough includes a ceramic insulator and a via hermetically bonded to the insulator. The via includes platinum. The pad is bonded to the insulator and electrically connected to the via, includes platinum, and has a thickness of at least 50 μm. The lead includes at least one of niobium, platinum, titanium, tantalum, palladium, gold, nickel, tungsten, and oxides and alloys thereof.