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Acute and long-term outcomes of left-sided atrioventricular node ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation

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Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To present our experience regarding acute and long-term outcomes of left-sided atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

A total of 47 patients with AF in whom left-sided AVN ablation via retroaortic approach as a first-line approach were enrolled in this retrospective study. Indications for AVN ablation were high ventricular rate refractory to medical therapy, inappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shocks, or loss of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacing. Both acute and long-term outcomes were assessed for all participants.

Results

Left-sided AVN ablation was successfully performed in 46/47 (98%) patients without any procedural complication. In the remaining 1 patient (2%), right-sided AVN ablation was performed. No mortality was observed within 30 days of the procedure. Upgrade to CRT was performed in 9 (19%) of the patients. During the median 22.5 months of follow-up, all-cause mortality was 25%. Device interrogations on the last clinical visit revealed complete AV block and intrinsic ventricular rate of < 40 bpm in all patients.

Conclusion

Left-sided AVN ablation is a safe and effective procedure without recurrence during long-term follow-up.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

    Hikmet Yorgun, Uğur Canpolat, Yusuf Ziya Şener, Metin Okşul, Fatih Akkaya, Ahmet Hakan Ateş & Kudret Aytemir

  2. Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX, Maastricht, Netherlands

    Hikmet Yorgun

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  1. Hikmet Yorgun
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  2. Uğur Canpolat
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  3. Yusuf Ziya Şener
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Correspondence to Hikmet Yorgun.

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Informed consent was taken from the patients before the procedure and the study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee.

Conflict of interest

Hikmet Yorgun, proctoring for Medtronic; Kudret Aytemir, proctoring for Medtronic

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Yorgun, H., Canpolat, U., Şener, Y.Z. et al. Acute and long-term outcomes of left-sided atrioventricular node ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 59, 527–533 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-019-00642-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-019-00642-8

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