Implantable loop recorder monitoring after concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF): insights from more than 200 continuously monitored patients.

Different follow-up methods have been used to report success rates after AF ablation. Recent studies have shown that intermittent rhythm monitoring underestimates the actual AF recurrence rate. We therefore report our experience with continuous rhythm monitoring by implantable loop recorder (ILR) in a large patient cohort. Between 09/2008 and 12/2012, 343 cardiac surgical patients underwent concomitant surgical AF ablation. ILR implantation was performed in 206 patients. ILR interrogation was accomplished at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Successful ablation was defined as AF Burden <0.5 %. Primary outcome of the study was freedom from AF at 12-month follow-up. Mean patient's age was 70.5 ± 7.4 years. No major ablation- or ILR-related complications occurred. In 4 patients (1.9 %) ILR had to be explanted due to ILR-related wound infection (n = 2) or chronic pain (n = 2). Survival rate at 1-year follow-up was 96.6 %. Freedom from AF rate after 1-year follow-up was 68.5 and 63.6 % off antiarrhythmic drugs, respectively. Statistically significant predictors for successful ablation at 1-year follow-up were smaller LA diameter, shorter duration of AF and preoperative paroxysmal AF. Demographic data, indication for surgery, lesion set and used energy source had no impact on freedom from AF after 1 year. Continuous ILR monitoring after concomitant surgical AF ablation was safe and feasible, with registered freedom from AF rate of 68.5 % at 1-year follow-up. Thus continuous rhythm monitoring provides reliable outcome data and helps to guide antiarrhythmic therapy.

Event recorder monitoring to compare the efficacy of a left versus biatrial lesion set in patients undergoing concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: Various lesion sets and subsequent success rates have been reported in patients receiving concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation. However, most of these results have been obtained by discontinuous monitoring. We report results using continuous event recorder rhythm monitoring to compare more accurately the efficacy of a left versus biatrial lesion set to treat patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. METHODS: Between July 2008 and December 2011, 66 patients with persistent or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation underwent concomitant surgical atrial fibrillation ablation with a biatrial lesion set and subcutaneous event recorder implantation. The results and outcomes were compared with a propensity score-matched cohort of 66 patients with a left atrial lesion set and event recorder implantation. Event recorder interrogation was performed at 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 70.2±7.4 years, and 70.3% were male. No major ablation-related complications occurred. One-year survival was 94.8% with no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups. The overall rate of freedom from atrial fibrillation was 57.3% and 64.4% after 3 and 12 months follow-up, respectively. Three months postoperatively, patients in the biatrial group had a slightly higher rate of freedom from atrial fibrillation (63.6% vs 52.3% P=.22), but it did not reach statistical significance. At 12 months follow-up, a statistically significant higher rate of freedom from atrial fibrillation was observed in patients with a biatrial lesion set (74.4% vs 55.8%; P=.026). The mean atrial fibrillation burden in all patients was 15.1%±12.5% in the biatrial group and 21.2%±14.4% in the left atrial group 12 months postoperatively (P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous rhythm monitoring by subcutaneous event recorder implantation was safe and feasible. In patients undergoing biatrial ablation, a statistically significant higher rate of freedom from atrial fibrillation was observed at 12 months follow-up.

Safety and feasibility of concomitant surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVES: Concomitant surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a safe and feasible procedure. However, many surgeons are reluctant to perform it in patients with heart failure. We investigated the safety and efficacy of AF ablation in patients with a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <35%). METHODS: Between July 2003 and August 2011, 59 patients with severely reduced LVEF underwent concomitant surgical AF ablation, by either left atrial (LA) lesion set or bilateral pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal AF, and biatrial lesion set in patients with persistent AF. Follow-up echocardiography (ECG) was conducted after 12 months; rhythm monitoring was accomplished by either 24-h Holter echocardiography or event recorder monitoring. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 68 ± 9 years (male patients, 71%). Paroxysmal AF was present in 24 (41%) and persistent AF in 35 (59%) patients. No ablation-related adverse events occurred. The one-year survival rate was 95% without differences in patients with and without restoration of sinus rhythm (SR). The overall rate of SR was 54% after 1 year, showing a superior result in patients with preoperative paroxysmal AF compared with those with preoperative persistent AF (70 vs 41%, P < 0.001). LVEF improved from 29 ± 8% preoperatively to 39 ± 7% after 12 months of follow-up. The improvement in LVEF was significantly higher in patients with restored SR than in those with AF (16 vs 5%; P < 0.001). Only patients with restoration of SR showed a statistically significant reduction in New York Heart Association functional class at the 12-month follow-up (P = 0.0013). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical AF ablation was safe and feasible in patients with severely reduced LVEF. The restoration of SR led to a significantly higher improvement in LVEF and alleviation of clinical heart failure symptoms, not observed if AF persisted postoperatively.

Predictors for permanent pacemaker implantation after concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: Concomitant surgical atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is a safe and feasible procedure, recommended in guidelines. Pacemaker dependency is a known complication of AF ablation. We sought to determine independent predictors for pacemaker implantation after surgical AF ablation. METHODS: Between January 2003 and November 2012, 594 patients underwent concomitant surgical AF ablation. Various energy sources, including cryoablation (n = 139), unipolar radiofrequency (n = 278), and bipolar radiofrequency (n = 177), were used. Left atrial (n = 463, 77.9%) and biatrial (n = 131, 22.1%) ablation was performed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors for pacemaker implantation within 30 days after surgical AF ablation. RESULTS: The mean patient's age was 68.6 ± 9.4 years, and 66.8% were male. No major ablation-related complications occurred. A total of 41 (6.9%) of patients received pacemaker implantation during the 30-day follow-up period. Indications for pacemaker implantation were atrioventricular block in 25 (60.9%) of patients, sinus bradycardia or sinus arrest in 9 (22.0%) of patients, and bradyarrhythmia in 7 (17.1%) of patients. Demographic data, type of surgical procedure, and type of energy source did not have a significant impact on pacemaker implantation rate. However, biatrial ablation led to a significant pacemaker implantation rate compared with isolated left-sided ablation (6.3% vs 13.6%; P = .028). CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant surgical AF ablation showed a pacemaker implantation rate of 6.9% after 30-day follow-up. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed biatrial lesion set as the only statistically significant predictor for pacemaker implantation after surgical AF ablation.

Rhythm outcome predictors after concomitant surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation: a 9-year, single-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: Concomitant surgical ablation is a safe and feasible procedure, recommended by the guidelines for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing cardiac surgery. We performed a single-center data analysis to identify the predictors of rhythm outcome in such patients. METHODS: From January 2003 to January 2012, 503 patients with persistent (n = 296, 58.8%) or paroxysmal (n = 207, 41.2%) AF underwent concomitant surgical AF ablation. The lesions were limited to a pulmonary vein isolation (n = 76, 15.1%), a more complex left atrial lesion set (n = 353, 70.2%), or biatrial lesions (n = 74, 14.7%). Follow-up rhythm evaluations were based on either 24-hour Holter electrocardiograms or event recorder interrogation at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. A sinus rhythm (SR) immediately postoperatively was defined as the first documented rhythm after weaning from extracorporeal circulation. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 68.0 ± 9.5 years, and 336 (66.8%) were men. No major ablation-related complications occurred. After 1 year of follow-up, 59.9% of all patients were in SR, with significantly better results in patients with paroxysmal AF than in those with persistent AF (67.3% vs 54.8%, P = .0053). Additional statistically significant factors influencing SR after 1 year were left atrial diameter (P = .0019), AF duration (P = .018), and immediate postoperative SR (P < .001). Regarding only patients with persistent or longstanding-persistent AF, those with biatrial lesions had significantly greater rates of conversion to SR than those with solitary left atrial ablation (SR, 64.9% vs 51.4%; P = .044) after 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: The statistically significant predictors for SR after 1 year were left atrial diameter, AF duration, preoperative paroxysmal AF, immediate postoperative SR, and biatrial ablation for persistent AF.

Concomitant surgical atrial fibrillation ablation and event recorder implantation: better monitoring, better outcome?

OBJECTIVES: Concomitant ablation is an established therapy in cardiac surgical patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Post-discharge care seems to be an essential factor for clinical outcome. We analysed the influence of event recorder (ER) implantation and therapy guidance by the results of continuous rhythm monitoring of consecutive postoperative follow-up by our department of electrophysiology. METHODS: Between July 2003 and August 2010, 401 cardiac surgical patients underwent concomitant surgical AF ablation therapy. Since August 2009, an ER (REVEAL XT, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) was implanted in 98 patients intraoperatively. ER interrogation was performed by our department of electrophysiology 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results and outcomes were compared with a matched cohort of patients with ablation and no ER implantation. In those patients, rhythm follow-up was obtained by 24-h Holter ECG. Primary end-point of the study was sinus rhythm rate after 12 months. RESULTS: Mean patient's age was 67.0 ± 9.7 years, and 68.4% were male. No major ablation-related complications occurred. The overall sinus rhythm rate was 65.3% after 1-year follow-up. The sinus rhythm rate off antiarrhythmic drugs was 60.3%. The conversion rate tended to be higher in patients with an implanted ER (69.3 vs 60.1%, respectively; P = 0.098). Also, the sinus rhythm rate of anti-arrhythmic drugs was higher in the ER group (64.3 vs 56.2). Patients with ER were seen more often by a cardiologist in the first postoperative year (3.1 ± 0.8 vs 1.5 ± 0.9; P < 0.05) and received significantly more additional procedures, like electrical cardioversion or additional catheter-based ablation (16.1 vs 4.3%; P < 0.001; 11.2 vs 3.1%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of an ER with link-up to a cardiology and/or electrophysiology provides optimized anti-arrhythmic drug management and higher rates of consecutive procedures like cardioversion or additional catheter-based ablation. As a result, a trend to higher sinus rhythm conversion rate was observed after 1-year follow-up.