title: Seven-year follow-up after catheter ablation of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiofrequency catheter ablation is considered to be a curative therapy for patients with atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT). Nevertheless, there is little information available with respect to long-term results and the consequences of catheter ablation. The present study aimed to assess the long-term results (a minimum of 5 years) and clinical events.
  
  
  METHODS
  The recurrence rate of AVNRT, the development of late atrioventricular block and the presence of other arrhythmias (atrial flutter and fibrillation) were assessed in 131 consecutive patients who were undergoing catheter ablation between January 1992 and December 1998.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a mean follow-up of 7.2 +/- 2.5 years, tachycardia recurred in 13 patients (10%) after a median time of 6 months (interquartile range 4-24 months) and a second procedure was perfomed. Atrioventricular block occurred in two patients (1.5%) after 1 and 13 months. Atrial fibrillation recurred in seven (44%) of 16 patients in whom atrial fibrillation or flutter was present before ablation after a median of 12 months (interquartile range 9-15 months). Overall, all these events occurred after a median of 9 months (interquartile range 4-17 months). Subsequently, no event related to the arrhythmia or to the procedure was observed. A new onset atrial fibrillation, probably not related to AVNRT, occurred late in the follow-up in a further three patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arrhythmic events are not infrequent after catheter ablation of AVNRT during the early years after ablation, but they are unlikely during the subsequent long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmologic Centre, Department of Cardiology, Ospedali del Tigullio, Lavagna, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quartieri
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Donateo
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bottoni
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solano
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lolli
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomasi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Croci
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oddone
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puggioni
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menozzi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brignole
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012008:Recurrence; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome