TY - JOUR
T1 - Significant reduction of atrial defibrillation threshold and inducibility by catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
AU - Hwang, Eui Seock
AU - Nam, Gi Byung
AU - Joung, Boyoung
AU - Park, Junbeom
AU - Lee, Jihei Sara
AU - Shim, Jaemin
AU - Uhm, Jae Sun
AU - Lee, Moon Hyoung
AU - Pak, Hui Nam
PY - 2012/12
Y1 - 2012/12
N2 - Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) has antiarrhythmic effects by multiple mechanisms. We hypothesized that RFCA curtails atrial defibrillation threshold (A-DFT) and postablation induction pacing cycle length (iPCL), making critical mass reduction one potential mechanism by which antiarrhythmic effect is achieved. Methods: We included 289 patients with AF (male 77.9%, 55.7 ± 10.8 years old; 197 paroxysmal AF: 92 persistent AF) who underwent RFCA. A-DFT (serial internal cardioversion 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 J) and iPCL (serial 10 mA 10-second atrial pacing with pacing cycle length 250, 200, 190, 180, 170, 160, and 150 ms) were evaluated before and after RFCA. Results: (1) RFCA of AF reduced the A-DFT from 6.7 ± 3.7 J to 3.0 ± 3.0 J (P < 0.001). (2) AF ablation reduced AF inducibility from 95.4% before the procedure to 56.3% after the procedure (P < 0.001), and the iPCL from 194.8 ± 32.6 to 160.9 ± 26.2 ms (P < 0.001). (3) In patients who underwent a greater number of ablation lines, the post-RFCA A-DFT (P < 0.001) was lower, and %ΔA-DFT (P = 0.003) and proportion of atrial tachycardia (P = 0.022) were higher than those with a lower number of ablation lines. Conclusion: AF ablation significantly reduced A-DFT, AF inducibility, and iPCL, and the degree of their reduction was related to the number of ablation lines. (PACE 2012;35:1428-1435)
AB - Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) has antiarrhythmic effects by multiple mechanisms. We hypothesized that RFCA curtails atrial defibrillation threshold (A-DFT) and postablation induction pacing cycle length (iPCL), making critical mass reduction one potential mechanism by which antiarrhythmic effect is achieved. Methods: We included 289 patients with AF (male 77.9%, 55.7 ± 10.8 years old; 197 paroxysmal AF: 92 persistent AF) who underwent RFCA. A-DFT (serial internal cardioversion 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 J) and iPCL (serial 10 mA 10-second atrial pacing with pacing cycle length 250, 200, 190, 180, 170, 160, and 150 ms) were evaluated before and after RFCA. Results: (1) RFCA of AF reduced the A-DFT from 6.7 ± 3.7 J to 3.0 ± 3.0 J (P < 0.001). (2) AF ablation reduced AF inducibility from 95.4% before the procedure to 56.3% after the procedure (P < 0.001), and the iPCL from 194.8 ± 32.6 to 160.9 ± 26.2 ms (P < 0.001). (3) In patients who underwent a greater number of ablation lines, the post-RFCA A-DFT (P < 0.001) was lower, and %ΔA-DFT (P = 0.003) and proportion of atrial tachycardia (P = 0.022) were higher than those with a lower number of ablation lines. Conclusion: AF ablation significantly reduced A-DFT, AF inducibility, and iPCL, and the degree of their reduction was related to the number of ablation lines. (PACE 2012;35:1428-1435)
KW - atrial fibrillation
KW - catheter ablation
KW - defibrillation threshold
KW - inducibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870895777&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.2012.03517.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.2012.03517.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 22978799
AN - SCOPUS:84870895777
SN - 0147-8389
VL - 35
SP - 1428
EP - 1435
JO - PACE - Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology
JF - PACE - Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology
IS - 12
ER -