title: Radiofrequency ablation procedures in Greece: initial experience and results from the national registry 2008-2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2008 the radiofrequency ablation procedures (RFA) registry of the Hellenic Cardiological Society (HCS) was created. This is a dynamic, web-based application, which acts as the interface for storing and retrieving patients' demographic data and ablation procedures. Access to the site is permitted only to registered users. The purpose of this study is to report the results of RFA procedures performed in Greece over the 2008-2010 period.
  
  
  METHODS
  There are 27 centers in 24 hospitals that are licensed to perform RFA in Greece. During the period 2008-2010, 3541 RFA procedures were performed in 3344 patients in 23 centers. Four centers did not contribute data at all for various reasons. It is interesting that nearly 50% of the total number of procedures were performed at 3 high volume centers (>100 cases/year).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common procedure was slow pathway ablation for atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia, the second was ablation of accessory pathway related tachycardias, and the third was ablation of atrial fibrillation. Success rates were high (92.1%), the complication rate was 3% (serious complications <1%) and total relapse rate was 8.7% at six months' follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The electronic RFA registry in Greece confirmed that all RFA procedures are performed in Greece with high success and low complication rates, comparable to the European and US standards. The experience and results from the first three-year period using the registry are very interesting and encouraging, thus indicating the need for development of similar databases at the national level.
authors.affiliation: First Cardiology Division, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, University of Thessaloniki, Greece. vvassil@med.auth.gr
authors.forename: Vassilios P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Vassilikos
authors.forename: Michalis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Efremidis
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mantziari
authors.forename: Andonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Billis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Theodorakis
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katzivas
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paraskevaidis
authors.forename: Themistoklis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maounis
authors.forename: Efthymios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Livanis
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manolis
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chatzinikolaou
authors.forename: Spyidon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Defteraios
authors.forename: Demosthenes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katritsis
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kanoupakis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papagiannis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Frangakis
authors.forename: Konstandinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gatzoulis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dagres
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Apostolopoulos
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rokas
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaitanidou
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chiladakis
authors.forename: Dionisios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalpakos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sakadamis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kourgianidis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult