Entrapment of circular mapping catheter in the mitral valve.
BACKGROUND
Ablation procedures in the left atrium for treatment of atrial fibrillation are becoming increasingly common. The procedure often involves placing one or two circular mapping catheters in the left atrium. Entrapment of an ablation catheter in the mitral valve during ablations of left-sided accessory pathways by the retrograde approach has been described in two earlier published reports. More recently, several reports describe similar entrapment of a mapping catheter. In a recently published review, however, only one case of unspecified valve damage was registered among 8745 atrial fibrillation procedures.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients with entrapment.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of electrophysiological results.


RESULTS
We describe three patients with entrapment during ablations for atrial fibrillation. The entrapments occurred with three different operators at three different electrophysiological laboratories within 2 years. The complication described here may be more common than is widely appreciated.


CONCLUSIONS
From our figures, we estimate the incidence of the complication to 0.9% (95% confidence interval, 0.2-2.5%).
Kesek
Milos
M
Department of Cardiology, Heart Centre, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden. milos.kesek@comhem.se
Englund
Anders
A
Jensen
Steen M
SM
Jensen-Urstad
Mats
M
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency