Eduardo Arana-Rueda

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation burden before and after pulmonary veins isolation: an observational study through a subcutaneous leadless cardiac monitor.

Data on the success rate of ablation in atrial fibrillation (AF) are controversial. Our hypothesis is that the efficacy must be evaluated considering the AF burden (AFB) before the procedure. Moreover, the clinical significance of early recurrence (ERAT) of AF or atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT) is debatable. The aim is to describe the outcome of pulmonary vein isolation in paroxysmal AF through a subcutaneous cardiac monitor (ICM) implanted before the procedure.

Impact of Contact Force Monitoring in Acute Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using an Anatomic Approach. A Randomized Study.

The impact of contact force (CF) monitoring in pulmonary vein (PV) isolation after a circumferential anatomic ablation (CAA) is unknown. We analyze the usefulness of CF monitoring in acute PV isolation and procedure parameters using a CAA.

Safety, long-term outcomes and predictors of recurrence after first-line combined endoepicardial ventricular tachycardia substrate ablation in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Impact of arrhythmic substrate distribution pattern. A prospective multicentre study

Background First-line endoepicardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation has been proposed for patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC). This study reports procedural safety, outcomes, and predictors of recurrence. Methods and Results Forty-one consecutive patients [12 with left ventricle (LV) involvement, 7 left-dominant] underwent first-line endoepicardial VT substrate ablation. Standard bipolar and unipolar thresholds were used to define low-voltage areas (LVA). Arrhythmogenic substrate area (ASA) was defined as the area containing electrograms with delayed components. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator interrogations were evaluated for VT recurrence. Epicardial LVA was larger in all cases (102.5 ± 78.6 vs. 19.3 ± 24.4 cm2; P< 0.001). Consistent with an epicardium-to-endocardium arrhythmogenic substrate progression pattern, epicardial ASA (epi-ASA) was negatively correlated with bipolar endocardial LVA (r = -0.368; P= 0.035) and with endocardial bipolar/unipolar-LVA (Bi/Uni-LVA) ratio (r= -0.38; P= 0.037). A Bi/Uni-LVA ratio >0.23 predicted an epi-ASA ≤10 cm2 (100% sensitivity, 84% specificity). Patients showing an epi-ASA < 10 cm2 required less epicardial (8.4 ± 5.8 vs. 25.3 ± 16; P= 0.045) and more endocardial (16.5 ± 8.6 vs. 7.5 ± 8.2; P= 0.047) radiofrequency applications. One patient with epi-ASA < 10 cm2 died of cardiac tamponade after epicardial puncture. Acute success (no VT inducibility after procedure) was achieved in 36 patients (90%). After 32.2 ± 21.8 months, 11 (26.8%) patients had VT recurrences. Left-dominant AC was associated with an increased risk of recurrence (HR = 3.41 [1.1-11.2], P= 0.044; log-rank P= 0.021). Conclusion First-line endoepicardial VT substrate ablation achieves good long-term results in AC. Left-dominant AC is associated with an increased risk of recurrence. The Bi/Uni-LVA ratio identifies patients with limited epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate in whom the indication of epicardial approach should be more cautiously assessed.

Reverse Atrial Remodeling Following Pulmonary Vein Isolation: The Importance of the Body Mass Index

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) causes a reduction in left atrium size that is attributable to reverse atrial remodeling (RAR). The objective of this study was to identify predictors of RAR and determine its association with other parameters of improvement in cardiac function.

Analyses of inappropriate shocks in a Spanish ICD primary prevention population: Predictors and prognoses

BACKGROUND ICDs have been demonstrated to be highly effective in the primary prevention of sudden death, but inappropriate shocks (IS) occur frequently and represent one of the most important adverse effects of ICDs. The aim of this study was to analyze IS and identify the clinical predictors and prognostic implications of ISs in a real-world primary prevention ICD population. METHODS This multicenter retrospective study was performed in 13 centers with experience in the field of ICD implantation (at least 30 per year) and ICD follow-up in Spain. All consecutive patients who underwent ICD implantation for primary prevention between January 2008 and May 2014 were included. RESULTS One-thousand-sixteen patients were included, and 4 (0.39%) were lost to follow-up. Two-hundred-seventeen (21.4%) patients suffered from shock; 69 (6.8%) of these patients experienced IS, and 154 (15.4%) experienced appropriate shocks (AS). Age (<65 years, hazard ratio (HR) 2.588 [95% CI 1.282-5.225]; p=0.008), history of atrial fibrillation (HR 2.252 [95% CI 1.230-4.115]; p=0.009), non-ischemic myocardiopathy (HR 2.258 [95% CI 1.090-4.479]; p=0.028), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (HR 0.385 [95% CI 0.200-0.740]; p=0.004) were identified as IS predictors in a multivariate analysis. IS was not associated with rehospitalization due to heart failure, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality or all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS This analysis of our national registry identified the independent IS predictors of age, atrial fibrillation history and cardiac resynchronization therapy and suggests that ISs are not linked to poorer clinical endpoints.

A simple surgical technique to prevent atrial reentrant tachycardia in surgery for congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVES To present and test a simple surgical technique that may prevent atrial reentrant tachycardia following surgery for congenital heart disease. This arrhythmia is one of the commonest long-term complications of such a surgery. It may occur many years (even decades) after the operation. It is usually explained as a late consequence of right atriotomy, which is an inherent component of many operations for congenital heart disease. Right atriotomy results in a long scar on the right atrial myocardium. This scar, as any scar, is a barrier to electrical conduction, and macro-reentrant circuits may form around it, causing reentrant tachycardia. However, this mechanism may be counterchecked and neutralized by our proposed method, which prevents reentrant circuits around right atriotomy scars. METHODS The proposed method is implemented after termination of cardiopulmonary bypass and tying the venous purse-strings. It consists of constructing a full-thickness suture line on the intact right atrial wall from the inferior vena cava (IVC) (a natural conduction barrier) to the atriotomy incision. This suture line is made to cross the venous cannulation sites if these are on the atrial myocardium (rather than being directly on the venae cavae). Thus, the IVC, atriotomy and cannulation sites are connected to each other in series by a full-thickness suture line on the atrial wall. If this suture line becomes a conduction barrier, it would prevent reentrant circuits around right atrial scars. This was tested in 13 adults by electroanatomical mapping. All 13 patients had previously undergone right atriotomy for atrial septal defect closure: 8 of them with the addition of the proposed preventive suture line (treatment group) and 5 without (control group). RESULTS In all 13 cases, the atriotomy scar was identified as a barrier to electrical conduction with electrophysiological evidence of fibrosis (scarring). In the 8 patients with the proposed suture line, this had also become a scar and a complete conduction barrier. In the 5 patients without this suture line, there was free electrical conduction between the IVC and atriotomy scar. CONCLUSIONS The proposed suture line becomes a scar and conduction barrier. Therefore, it would prevent reentrant circuits around atrial scars and their consequent arrhythmias.

Simplified approach for ablation of nodal reentrant tachycardia in a patient with tricuspid atresia and extracardiac Fontan palliation.

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Ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia in a patient with tricuspid atresia guided by electroanatomic mapping.

We describe a case of ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia in a patient with tricuspid atresia and L‐malposition of great vessels using an electroanatomical mapping system integrated with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Atrial activation mapping during tachycardia identified the retrograde fast pathway proximal to the His bundle, observed in the left interatrial septum. Ablation was successfully completed below this area. Map integration with the patients anatomy allowed a safe, individualized procedure. (PACE 2012; 35:e293–e295)

Totally Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator in a Child With Complex Congenital Heart Disease and Infection in a Previous Transvenous System

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Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation: Achieving permanent pulmonary vein isolation by point-by-point radiofrequency lesions

Pulmonary vein isolation by point-by-point radiofrequency catheter ablation constitutes the cornerstone of catheter ablation strategies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. However, despite advances in pulmonary vein isolation ablation strategies, long-term success rates after ablation remain suboptimal, which highlights the need to develop techniques to achieve more durable lesions. Strategies proposed to improve the durability of pulmonary vein isolation can be divided into two groups: Those addressed to improving the quality of the lesion and those that optimize the detection of acute PV reconnection during the ablation procedure. This manuscript reviews the role and potential benefits of these techniques according to current clinical evidence.