title: Successful repair of an atrioesophageal fistula after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Catheter ablation of arrhythmias can result in the rare but devastating complication of an atrioesophageal fistula. This complication can be associated with significant neurologic morbidity and high mortality and requires a high index of suspicion to facilitate life-saving surgical intervention. Herein, we report the successful repair of an atrioesophageal fistula after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryand 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Kara A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Haggerty
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Arnaoutakis
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Barreiro
authors.forename: Ashish S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Marc S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sussman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005402:Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007366:Intercostal Muscles / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed