Predictors of recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias after pulmonary vein isolation by functional and structural mapping of nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias by structural and functional mapping: voltage, dominant frequency (DF), and rotor mapping after a pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. METHODS: A total of 66 nonparoxysmal AF patients were prospectively investigated. After the PVI, an online real-time phase mapping system was used to detect the location of rotors with critical nonpassively activated ratios (%NPs) of ≧50% in each left atrial (LA) segment, and high-DFs of ≧7 Hz were simultaneously mapped. After restoring sinus rhythm, low-voltage areas (LVAs < 0.5 mV) were mapped using the Advisor HD grid catheter (HDG). RESULTS: Sixty-four of 66 (97%) AF patients had minimum to mild LVAs regardless of an enlarged LAD and LA volume (45 ± 6.0 mm and 141 ± 29 ml). There were no significant differences in the max and mean DF values and %NPs between the patients with and without recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias. However, there was a significant difference in the LVA/LA surface area between the patients with and without recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias (p = .004). Atrial tachyarrhythmia freedom was significantly greater in those with LVAs of ≤3.3% than in those >3.3% after one procedure over 11.6 ± 0.8 months of follow-up (77.1% vs. 33.3%, p < .001). In a multivariate analysis, the LVA/LA surface area after the PVI (HR 1.079; CI, 1.025-1.135, p = .003) was an independent predictor of AF recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The predictor of atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence after the PVI was LVAs rather than DFs and rotors in nonparoxysmal AF patients.

Effect of ablation at high-dominant frequency sites overlapping with low-voltage areas after pulmonary vein isolation of nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between high-dominant frequency (DF) sites and low-voltage areas (LVAs) in nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients still remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ablation at high-DF sites overlapping with LVAs after pulmonary vein ablation (PVI) of nonparoxysmal AF. METHODS: A total of 128 consecutive nonparoxysmal patients with atrial fibrillation (53 persistent AF) were retrospectively investigated. The patients with AF were divided into two groups: patients with circumferential PVI alone (PVI group, n = 57) and those with PVI followed by a DF-based ablation (DF group, n = 71). RESULTS: The patient characteristics did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, the LVA ( < 0.5 mV)/left atrial (LA) surface was significantly greater in the DF than the PVI group (22% vs 16%, P = .02). The total max-DF sites overlapping with LVAs in the LA were significantly greater in the DF than the PVI group (91% vs 10%, P = .001). The atrial arrhythmia freedom on antiarrhythmic drugs in the DF group was significantly greater than that in the PVI group during 10.0 ± 3.2 months of follow-up (83.1% vs 64.9%, log-rank test P = .021). The event-free survival in the PVI group decreased according to the LVA extent while it was > 80% in the DF group. The event-free survival in patients with AF especially with extensive LVAs ( ≥ 30%) in the DF group was significantly greater than that in the PVI group (81.0% vs 45.5%, log-rank test P = .035). CONCLUSIONS: High-DF sites overlapping with LVAs after the PVI may be potential selective targets for modification of atrial substrates in nonparoxysmal AF patients.

Efficacy of anti-tachycardia pacing for terminating fast ventricular tachycardia in Japanese implantable cardioverter defibrillator patients. Primary results of the SATISFACTION study.

BACKGROUND: Anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) delivered by implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) safely avoids painful shocks with minimum risk of tachycardia acceleration. The etiology of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in those studies, however, was predominantly coronary artery disease (CAD). Patient etiology differs by geography and could affect ATP efficacy rate. The primary objective of this study was to examine how often the first ATP therapy terminates fast VT (FVT) in Japanese ICD patients with regional etiologies. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seven hundred and fifteen patients received ICD or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator with the function of ATP during capacitor charging. The primary endpoint was the first ATP success rate for terminating FVT with cycle length 240-320 ms. During a mean follow-up of 11.3 months, 888 spontaneous VT episodes were detected, including 276 FVT (31.1%) in 42 patients. The first-ATP success rate for FVT in the overall group (41% CAD, 59% non-CAD including 23% idiopathic VT) was 62.1% (61.7% adjusted). Success rate was not different between non-CAD and CAD patients (61.4% adjusted and 57.5% adjusted, respectively, P=0.75). Eight FVT episodes (2.9%) accelerated after the first ATP attempt, all of which were terminated by subsequent device therapy (additional ATP or shock). CONCLUSIONS: ATP efficacy for FVT was similar between ICD patients with and without CAD etiology.

Percutaneous coronary intervention by retrograde approach for chronic total occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery via a gastroepiploic artery graft.

Coronary arteries connecting to septal branch are often occluded in post-coronary artery bypass graft cases. A 70-year-old male had undergone CABG; radial artery graft to the LCX, and gastroepiploic artery (GEA) graft to the RCA. Coronary angiography revealed total occlusion in proximal LAD, while both graft vessels had good flow. Retrograde percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure from the septal channel via GEA graft to the RCA was performed for total occlusion of LAD. Despite the tortuous GEA, deep engagement with a 4-french guiding catheter ensured powerful back-up force. After retrograde wire crossing, two drug-eluting stents were implanted, successfully.