Atrioesophageal fistula complicating cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Although atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) formation is a well known, albeit rare, catastrophic complication of atrial fibrillation radiofrequency ablation procedures, there are less data regarding this complication using the cryoballoon technique. We report on 3 cases of AEF as a complication of cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation at 3 different institutions with 2 different generations of cryoballoons.
Advocate Medical Group/Midwest Heart Foundation, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA.
Raymond
R
Kawasaki
Andre
A
Gauri
Darryl
D
Elmouchi
Manoj
M
Duggal
Adarsh
A
Bhan
D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D062906:Cardiac Catheters; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004867:Equipment Design; D004937:Esophageal Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*
atrioesophageal fistula; cryoablation; cryoballoon; paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; pulmonary vein isolation