Occurrence of symptoms after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to verify the efficiency of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (CA AF) according to the "atrial fibrillation (AF) burden"(time spent in AF) and symptoms related to AF.


METHODS
We retrospectively analysed a selected set of 133 patients with atrial fibrillation (81% men, 19% women) who underwent an invasive therapy in the form of CA AF and at the same time had an implanted long-term ECG loop recorder (Reveal XT) in a period of eight years. We investigated AF burden and objective symptoms of AF by data obtained from a long-term implantable ECG loop recorder. Subjective symptoms related to AF were identified during outpatient controls.


RESULTS
Firstly, our results demonstrate for the first time a clinically relevant increase in the occurrence of asymptomatic episodes of AF after CA AF. Secondly, when analysing AF symptoms and AF burden at the same time, CA AF in terms of reduction of symptoms and shortening the time in AF had a better effect in patients undergoing 1 procedure (CA AF) compared to patients undergoing repeated procedures (re CA AF).


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in the occurrence of asymptomatic episodes of AF is of considerable importance both for the clinical evaluation of ablation efficacy and for individualized clinical management of patients, especially with respect to antithrombotic therapy (Fig. 10, Ref. 19).
H
H
Bou Ezzeddine
A
A
Vachulova
M
M
Svetlosak
L
L
Urban
P
P
Hlivak
P
P
Margitfalvi
V
V
Bernat
K
K
Gladisova
M
M
Sasov
R
R
Hatala
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
atrial fibrillation; atrial fibrillation burden; catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation; continuous ECG monitoring.; symptoms of atrial fibrillation