Stable Sinus Rhythm (stable + sinus_rhythm)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Left Atrial Radiofrequency Ablation During Cardiac Surgery in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 12 2003
ROBERTO MANTOVAN M.D.
Introduction: Intraoperative left atrial radiofrequency (RF) ablation recently has been suggested as an effective surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to verify the outcome of this technique in a controlled multicenter trial. Methods and Results: One hundred three consecutive patients (39 men and 65 women; age 62 ± 11 years) affected by AF underwent cardiac surgery and RF ablation in the left atrium (RF group). The control group consisted of 27 patients (6 men and 21 women; age 64 ± 7 years) with AF who underwent cardiac surgery during the same period and refused RF ablation. Mitral valve disease was present in 89 (86%) and 25 (92%) patients, respectively (P = NS). RF endocardial ablation was performed in order to obtain isolation of both right and left pulmonary veins, a lesion connecting the previous lines, and a lesion connecting the line encircling the left veins to the mitral annulus. Upon discharge from the hospital, sinus rhythm was present in 65 patients (63%) versus 5 patients (18%) in the control group (P < 0.0001). Mean time of cardiopulmonary bypass was longer in the RF group (148 ± 50 min vs 117 ± 30 min, P = 0.013). The complication rate was similar in both groups, but RF ablation-related complications occurred in 4 RF group patients (3.9%). After a mean follow-up of 12.5 ± 5 months (range 4,24), 83 (81%) of 102 RF group patients were in stable sinus rhythm versus 3 (11%) of 27 in the control group (P < 0.0001). The success rate was similar among the four surgical centers. Atrial contraction was present in 66 (79.5%) of 83 patients in the RF group in sinus rhythm. Conclusion: Endocardial RF left atrial compartmentalization during cardiac surgery is effective in restoring sinus rhythm in many patients. This technique is easy to perform and reproducible. Rare RF ablation-related complications can occur. During follow-up, sinus rhythm persistence is good, and biatrial contraction is preserved in most patients. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 1289-1295, December 2003) [source]


Catheter Ablation of Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Targeting the Reinitiating Triggers

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2000
MICHEL HAÏSSAGUERRE M.D.
Trigger Ablation in Chronic AF. Introduction: We assessed the mode of reinitiation of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardioversion and the efficacy of ablating these foci of reinitiation in patients with chronic AF. Methods and Results: Fifteen patients, 7 with structural heart disease, underwent mapping and catheter ablation of drug-resistant AF documented to he persistent for 5 ± 4 months. In all patients, cardioversion was followed by documentation of P on T atrial ectopy and early recurrence, which allowed mapping of the reinitiating trigger or the source of ectopy. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation was performed at pulmonary vein (PV) ostia using a target temperature of 50°C and a power limit of 30 to 40 W, with the endpoint being interruption of all local muscle conduction. A total of 32 arrhythmogenic PVs and 2 atrial foci (left septum and left appendage) were identified: 1, 2, and 3 or 4 PVs in 5, 3, and 6 patients. RF applications at the ostial perimeter resulted in progressively increasing delay, followed by abolition of PV potentials in 8, but potentials persisted in 6. A single ablation session was performed in 7 patients and 8 underwent two or three sessions because of recurrence of AF; ablation was directed at the same source due to recovery of local PV potential or at a different PV. No PV stenosis was noted either acutely or at repeated follow-up angiograms. Nine patients (60%) were in stable sinus rhythm without antiarrhythmic drugs at follow-up of 11 ± 8 months. Anticoagulants were interrupted in 7 patients. Conclusion: PVs are the dominant triggers reinitiating chronic AF in this patient population. Elimination of PV potentials by ostial RF applications results in stable sinus rhythm in 60%. A larger group and longer follow-up are needed to investigate further the role of trigger ablation in curative therapy for chronic AF. [source]


Electrophysiological Differences of the Spontaneous Onset of Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
STEFAN WEBER M.D.
Background: Information about the spatiotemporal organization of atrial activity at the onset of atrial fibrillation (AF) is still limited. Methods: AF mapping was performed in 30 patients with AF (mean age 53 ± 9 years, 26 males) by deploying a noncontact mapping balloon in the left atrium (LA). Twenty-four patients had paroxysmal AF and six patients had persistent AF. Three types of AF episodes were analyzed: nonsustained AF (lasting , 30 seconds), sustained AF (lasting > 30 seconds, with spontaneous conversion or requiring internal cardioversion and subsequent stable sinus rhythm), and persistent AF episodes (stable sinus rhythm lasting , 1 minute after cardioversion). Results: A total of 101 spontaneous AF onset episodes were analyzed. Analysis of AF onset showed that there was a progressive shortening of the initial cycle lengths from nonsustained episodes to sustained episodes and to persistent AF episodes. There was an earlier and more rapid reduction in the cycle lengths from persistent episodes to sustained episodes and to nonsustained episodes of AF (P < 0.05 for persistent vs sustained and for sustained vs nonsustained episodes). The development of multiwavelet activity and disorganization of conduction occurred earlier in persistent and sustained episodes than in nonsustained AF episodes. LA size was greater in patients with persistent AF episodes compared with patients with sustained or nonsustained AF episodes. Conclusions: Electrophysiological events that develop at the onset of AF seem to be different in different types of AF. A more rapid degeneration into the fibrillatory activity was observed in persistent and sustained AF than in nonsustained AF episodes. [source]


Internal Atrial Defibrillation During Electrophysiological Studies and Focal Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 10 2001
MARTIN R. KARCH
KARCH, M.R., et al.: Internal Atrial Defibrillation During Electrophysiological Studies and Focal Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures. Induction of sustained AF during electrophysiological studies requires electrical cardioversion to restore sinus rhythm for continuation of the electrophysiological study and mapping procedure. The study included 104 consecutive patients (age 59 ± 12 years, 74 men), who were in stable sinus rhythm at the beginning of the electrophysiological study, underwent internal atrial defibrillation (IAD) of AF (> 15 minutes) that was induced during electrophysiological study. In 21 patients, AF was regarded to be the clinical problem (group I), and in the remaining 83 patients other arrhythmias represented the primary target of the electrophysiological study (group II). A 7.5 Fr cardioversion catheter (EP Medical) equipped with a distal array was used and placed in the left pulmonary artery and a proximal array of the same size was located along the lateral right atrial wall. All patients were successfully cardioverted with a mean energy of 6.2 ± 4.0 J. In 18 (78%) of 21 group I patients and in 12 (14%) of 81 group II patients, AF recurred 3.7 ± 3.4 and 2.4 ± 1.4 times during electrophysiological study, respectively. The IAD shock did not suppress focal activity, thus the mapping of atrial foci responsible for AF could be continued even after several IADs. No IAD related complications occurred during the study. In conclusion, (1) IAD can be safely and successfully performed during electrophysiological study without using narcotic drugs or high electric energies; (2) IAD does not suppress focal activity; and (3) even if AF recurs frequently during the electrophysiological study, IAD can be performed several times without significant time delay. [source]