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Prevalence of Asymptomatic Recurrences of Atrial Fibrillation After Successful Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation
Author(s) -
ORAL HAKAN,
VEERAREDDY SRIKAR,
GOOD ERIC,
HALL BURR,
CHEUNG PETER,
TAMIRISA KAMALA,
HAN JIHN,
FORTINO JACKIE,
CHUGH AMAN,
BOGUN FRANK,
PELOSI FRANK,
MORADY FRED
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.193
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1540-8167
pISSN - 1045-3873
DOI - 10.1046/j.1540-8167.2004.04055.x
Subject(s) - medicine , palpitations , asymptomatic , atrial fibrillation , catheter ablation , ablation , pulmonary vein , cardiology , surgery
The long‐term efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been based on patient‐reported symptoms suggestive of AF. However, asymptomatic recurrences of AF may remain undetected. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic recurrences of AF after an apparently successful catheter ablation procedure for AF. Methods and Results: Among 244 consecutive patients (mean age 53 ± 11 years) who underwent a pulmonary vein isolation procedure for symptomatic paroxysmal AF and who reported no symptoms of recurrent AF at ≥6 months after the procedure, 60 patients with a history of ≥1 episode of AF per week were asked to participate in this study. Preablation, these patients had experienced 19 ± 13 episodes of AF per month. The patients were provided with a patient‐activated transtelephonic event recorder for 30 days, a mean of 642 ± 195 days after the ablation procedure, and were asked to record and transmit recordings on a daily basis and whenever they felt palpitations. Seven patients (12%) felt palpitations during the study, although they had not experienced symptoms previously. Each of these 7 patients had an episode of AF documented with the event monitor during symptoms. In these 7 patients, the mean number of episodes per month decreased from 19 ± 14 preablation to 3 ± 1 postablation (P < 0.001). Among the 53 asymptomatic patients, an episode of AF was captured in 1 (2%) patient during the study period. Conclusion: Asymptomatic recurrences of AF after an apparently successful catheter ablation procedure for symptomatic paroxysmal AF are infrequent.