Abstract
Background
Fluoroscopy-free (FF) ablation has been demonstrated to be safe and successful in patients with structurally normal hearts, but has not been systematically evaluated in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) of moderate or great (M/G) complexity. This study aimed to evaluate and compare feasibility, safety, and outcomes of FF ablation in patients with or without M/G-CHD.
Methods
Consecutive patients undergoing electrophysiologic study and intended catheter ablation over a 24-month period were included. Subgroups were created based on presence and complexity of CHD–M/G-CHD or simple complexity/no CHD (S/N-CHD). Cases with total radiation dose of zero qualified as FF. Demographic and peri-procedural variables and outcome data were analyzed.
Results
A total of 89 procedures were included with 62 comprising the S/N-CHD group and 27 comprising the M/G-CHD group. Of the M/G-CHD patients, 13 had CHD of great complexity (including 6 single ventricle/Fontan and 2 atrial switch patients). Patients with M/G-CHD were older, had higher BMI, had higher incidence of ventricular dysfunction, and greater incidence of complex arrhythmias. Fluoroscopy-free ablation was achieved in 59% of M/G-CHD and 69% of S/N-CHD patients. Both groups had similar rates of acute procedural success, recurrence, and complications. Fluoroscopy was primarily used to visualize pre-existing transvenous leads and peripheral venous anomalies or to guide transbaffle/transseptal puncture.
Conclusions
A fluoroscopy-free ablation approach is feasible, safe, and successful even in patients with M/G-CHD with comparable outcomes to those with S/N-CHD.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Not applicable.
Code availability
Not applicable.
References
Canpolat U, Faggioni M, Della Rocca DG, et al. State of Fluoroless Procedures in Cardiac Electrophysiology Practice. J Innov Card Rhythm Manag. 2020;11(3):4018–29. https://doi.org/10.19102/icrm.2020.110305.
Casella M, Dello RA, Pelargonio G, et al. Near zerO fluoroscopic exPosure during catheter ablAtion of supRavenTricular arrhYthmias: the NO-PARTY multicentre randomized trial. Europace. 2016;18:1565–72. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euv344.
Stout KK, Daniels CJ, Aboulhosn JA, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines [published correction appears in J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019 May 14;73(18):2361–2]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(12):e81–e192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.08.1029
Warnes CA, Liberthson R, Danielson GK, et al. Task Force 1: the changing profile of congenital heart disease in adult life. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37(5):1170–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0735-1097(01)01272-4.
Heidbuchel H, Wittkampf FHM, Vano E, et al. Practical ways to reduce radiation dose for patients and staff during device implantations and electrophysiological procedures. Europace. 2014;16(7):946–64. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/eut409.
Wall B, Hart D, Mol H, Lecluyse A, Aroua A, Trueb P. European Guidance on Estimating Population Doses from Medical X-Ray Procedures. Luxembourg: Publications Office; 2008.
The jamovi project. https://www.jamovi.org/. Published 2020. Accessed 22 Sep 2020.
Walsh MA, Noga M, Rutledge J. Cumulative Radiation Exposure in Pediatric Patients with Congenital Heart Disease. Pediatr Cardiol. 2015;36(2):289–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-014-0999-y.
Andreassi MG, Ait-Ali L, Botto N, Manfredi S, Mottola G, Picano E. Cardiac catheterization and long-term chromosomal damage in children with congenital heart disease. Eur Heart J. 2006;27(22):2703–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehl014
Andreassi MG. Radiation risk from pediatric cardiac catheterization: friendly fire on children with congenital heart disease. Circulation. 2009;120(19):1847–9. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.904458.
Clay MA, Campbell RM, Strieper M, Frias PA, Stevens M, Mahle WT. Long-Term Risk of Fatal Malignancy Following Pediatric Radiofrequency Ablation. Am J Cardiol. 2008;102(7):913–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2008.05.033.
Bacher K, Bogaert E, Lapere R, De Wolf D, Thierens H. Patient-specific dose and radiation risk estimation in pediatric cardiac catheterization. Circulation. 2005;111(1):83–9. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000151098.52656.3A.
Arrhythmias in congenital heart disease: a position paper of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Grown-up Congenital heart disease, endorsed by HRS, PACES, APHRS, and SOLAECE | EP Europace | Oxford Academic. Accessed May 24, 2020. https://academic.oup.com/europace/article/20/11/1719/4944677
Klehs S, Schneider HE, Backhoff D, Paul T, Krause U. Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Atrial Tachycardias in Congenital Heart Disease: Results With Special Reference to Complexity of Underlying Anatomy. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2017;10(12):e005451. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCEP.117.005451
Smith G, Clark JM. Elimination of fluoroscopy use in a pediatric electrophysiology laboratory utilizing three-dimensional mapping. PACE - Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2007;30(4):510–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-8159.2007.00701.x.
Kipp RT, Boynton JR, Field ME et al (2018) Outcomes During Intended Fluoroscopy-free Ablation in Adults and Children. J Innov Card Rhythm Manag 9:3305–3311. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30568847. Accessed 20 Dec 2020.
Percell R, Pike J, Olmsted R, et al. The Grand SANS FLUORO (SAy No Series to FLUOROsopy) Study: Examining Fluoroscopy Use in More than 1,000 Ablation Procedures. J Innov Card Rhythm Manag. 2020;11(9):4224–32. https://doi.org/10.19102/icrm.2020.1100903.
Bigelow AM, Arnold BS, Padrutt GC, Clark JM. Non-fluoroscopic cardiac ablation of neonates with CHD. Cardiol Young. 2017;27(3):592–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1047951116001554.
Cano Ó, Saurí A, Plaza D, et al. Evaluation of a near-zero fluoroscopic approach for catheter ablation in patients with congenital heart disease. J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2019;56(3):259–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-018-0467-3.
Papagiannis J, Avramidis D, Kovra S, Alexopoulos C, Kirvassilis G. Impact of non-fluoroscopic navigation for accessory pathway ablation in pediatric and young adult congenital patients. Heart Surg Forum. Published online 2010
Darrat Y, Morales G, Elayi C. The Effects of Catheter Ablation on Permanent Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators. J Innov Card Rhythm Manag. 2017;8(3):2630–5. https://doi.org/10.19102/icrm.2017.080303.
Clark BC, Sumihara K, Berul CI, Moak JP. Off the pedal: Fluoroless transseptal puncture in pediatric supraventricular tachycardia ablation. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2017;40(11):1254–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/pace.13195.
Žižek D, Antolič B, Prolič Kalinšek T et al (2020) Intracardiac echocardiography-guided transseptal puncture for fluoroless catheter ablation of left-sided tachycardias. J Interv Card Electrophysiol. Published online August 28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-020-00858-z
Mah DY, Miyake CY, Sherwin ED, et al. The use of an integrated electroanatomic mapping system and intracardiac echocardiography to reduce radiation exposure in children and young adults undergoing ablation of supraventricular tachycardia. Europace. 2014;16(2):277–83. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/eut237.
Krause U, Backhoff D, Klehs S, Schneider HE, Paul T. Transbaffle catheter ablation of atrial re-entrant tachycardia within the pulmonary venous atrium in adult patients with congenital heart disease. Europace. 2016;18(7):1055–60. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euv295.
Uhm J-S, Kim NK, Kim T-H, Joung B, Pak H-N, Lee M-H. How to perform transconduit and transbaffle puncture in patients who have previously undergone the Fontan or Mustard operation. Hear Rhythm. 2018;15(1):145–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2017.07.020.
Silvey M, Brandão LR. Risk Factors, Prophylaxis, and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Congenital Heart Disease Patients. Front Pediatr. 2017;5:146. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2017.00146.
Sarkozy A, De Potter T, Heidbuchel H, et al. Occupational radiation exposure in the electrophysiology laboratory with a focus on personnel with reproductive potential and during pregnancy: A European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) [published correction appears in Europace. 2018 Apr 1;20(4):574]. Europace. 2017;19(12):1909–22. https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/eux252
Houck CA, Chandler SF, Bogers AJJC et al (2019) Arrhythmia Mechanisms and Outcomes of Ablation in Pediatric Patients With Congenital Heart Disease. Circ Arrhythmia Electrophysiol 12(11). https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCEP.119.007663
Combes N, Derval N, Hascoët S, et al. Ablation des arythmies supraventriculaires sur cardiopathie congénitale à l’âge adulte : revue des résultats et des indications actuelles. Arch Cardiovasc Dis. 2017;110(5):334–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acvd.2017.01.007.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval
This retrospective chart review study involving human participants was in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The Human Investigation Committee (IRB) of University of Florida approved this study.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mahendran, A.K., Bussey, S. & Chang, P.M. Fluoroscopy-free ablation in congenital heart disease of moderate or great complexity. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 63, 611–620 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-021-01079-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-021-01079-8