ABSTRACT
Radiofrequency ablation produces a focal area of myocardial necrosis. Creatine kinase (total & MB fraction) and troponin-T were analysed in 54 patients who underwent electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia and idiopathic ventricular tachycardia. The age of the patients was 36 +/- 12 years; 17 patients underwent slow pathway modification for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, 26 patients underwent accessory pathway ablation and 11 patients underwent ablation for idiopathic ventricular tachycardia. There was no significant rise in creatine kinase, creatine kinase total & MB fraction and troponin-T in the patients who underwent slow pathway ablation for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. In patients with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia, there was no significant rise in creatine kinase and creatine kinase total & MB fraction levels, while troponin-T levels rose from 0.13 +/- 0.06 to 0.29 +/- 0.16 eta g/ml (p < 0.05). There was an increase in creatine kinase, creatine kinase total & MB fraction and troponin-T levels after idiopathic ventricular tachycardia ablation from 68.4 +/- 44.9 to 138.0 +/- 81.7 IU (p < 0.05), 2.77 +/- 3.34 to 25.2 +/- 19.8 IU (p < 0.05) and 0.09 +/- 0.04 to 0.34 +/- 0.08 eta g/ml (p < 0.001) respectively. Radiofrequency ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia does not cause any significant myocardial damage to raise any cardiac enzymes. Ablation of atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia results in only minor injury causing rise in only troponin-T levels. However, ventricular tachycardia ablation results in significant myocardial injury raising all the cardiac enzymes.