Clinical characteristics and acute results of catheter ablation for outflow tract ventricular tachycardia or premature beats.

PURPOSE: Contemporary outcome data of catheter ablation for outflow tract tachycardia (OTT) and ventricular premature beats (VPBs) are rare. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics, the acute procedure success rate, and the long-term survival of patients who underwent an ablation procedure for OTT or VPBs. METHODS: The study was a single-center retrospective cohort study. All 82 consecutive OTT and VPB first ablation procedures between 1999 and 2009 were included. Patients with structural heart disease were excluded. RESULTS: Mean age was 46 ± 13 years. Forty-three percent of the patients were male. All patients were alive after a median follow-up duration of 31 months (interquartile range, 14-65 months). Eighty-nine percent suffered from palpitations and 12 % had a history of syncope. Ventricular tachycardia was documented in 73 % and monomorphic VPBs in 99 %. Seventy-three percent of the patients were ablated in the right ventricular outflow tract, 15 % in the left ventricular outflow tract, and 12 % in the coronary cusps. Radiofrequency energy was used in 95 % of the patients, cryo energy in 9 %. Acute success was achieved in 78 %. Six patients (7 %) experienced a complication (five pericardial effusions, one pseudo-aneurysm of the femoral artery). Three patients needed pericardiocentesis (4 %). CONCLUSION: Ablation for OTT and VPB is successful in the vast majority of cases, with a low but still existing complication rate. Long-term survival was excellent, underscoring the benign nature of this arrhythmia.

Symptoms versus objective rhythm monitoring in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation undergoing pulmonary vein isolation.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein (PV) ablation is a treatment option for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The efficacy of treatment is often assessed by the evaluation of symptoms. However, a high proportion of AF episodes occur in the absence of symptoms as observed in pharmacological treated patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of symptoms and AF in patients who underwent PV ablation for the treatment of paroxysmal AF. METHODS: All consecutive patients scheduled for PV ablation received an event recorder 1 month prior to the ablation for the period of 4 months. Event strips were sent by telephone on a daily basis, and in case the patient suffered palpitations or other symptoms believed to be related to the arrhythmia. RESULTS: Forty-one patients (7 females; mean age 52 years (range 24 to 71 years)) sent a total of 3,046 event strips (735 before ablation; 2,311 after ablation). Before ablation, a total amount of 244 event strips were obtained of which were 85 (35%) were asymptomatic. After ablation, a total amount of 254 AF event strips were obtained of which 164 were asymptomatic (65%). Correlation between symptoms and rhythm was often absent during AF. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that for the evaluation of effectiveness of PV ablation, the lack of symptoms during follow-up is not a valid indication. Objective rhythm monitoring in order to detect asymptomatic AF should be performed.