Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation patients with a history of stroke.Methods and Results: A total of 116 symptomatic, drug-refractory AF patients with a history of stroke, and 1:2 matched patients without a history of stroke were enrolled. Of these, 28 cases occurred stroke within 3 months (Group 1), 88 cases with stroke history longer than 3 months (Group 2), and 232 cases without stroke (Group 3). PVI was performed in all patients, extended to ablation of linear lesions ablation. The periprocedural stroke rates and other procedure-related in-hospital complications did not differ significantly among the three groups. The maintenance rate of SR after the procedure showed no significant difference (p = 0.333), 52.7, 66.4, and 70.7% in Group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Furthermore, the comparison between a history of stroke and those without it were also shown no significant difference (p = 0.351).Conclusions: Radiofrequency ablation for AF patients occurred stroke, even within 3 months is safe and effective, without higher periprocedural complication rate and recurrence rate.
Highlights
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a clinically common arrhythmia and increases the risk of cardiogenic stroke up to 5-fold [1, 2]
No significant differences were found between the groups in sex, prevalence of paroxysmal AF, left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), frequency of coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus (DM), heart failure
The mean age was significantly older in AF with history of stroke than that without stroke (69.9 ± 6.7 vs. 63.7 ± 9.2 years, p < 0.01)
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a clinically common arrhythmia and increases the risk of cardiogenic stroke up to 5-fold [1, 2]. Few studies have evaluated the clinical efficacy and prognosis of atrial fibrillation ablation with a history of stroke [6, 7]. A 5-year retrospective study showed that the incidence of recurrent stroke after ablation was lower than that without ablation [7]. Current guidelines lack recommendations on the timing of radiofrequency ablation in patients with a history of stroke. Considering the possibility of perioperative complications, most centers only consider radiofrequency ablation at least 3 months after stroke. We conducted the current study to evaluate the effect of radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation with a history of stroke. We investigated the incidence of procedure-related complications in patients with a history of stroke
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
