title: Initial outcome following invasive cardiac electrophysiologic studies and radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) have become an established mode of treatment for patients with refractory arrhythmias. These procedures are carried out regularly at the cardiac catheterization laboratory of Madras Medical Mission India.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate our experience with cardiac electrophysiologic studies (EPS) and RFA catheter of atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study carried out in the Cardiac Electrophysiology Department of the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, India. All cases diagnosed to have AF following cardiac EPS between January 2010 and April 2014 was selected for the study. The records, which were obtained from the Cardiac Electrophysiology Clinical Research Office of Madras Medical Mission, were reviewed. Forty-nine cases were chosen for analysis, using SPSS statistical software version 15.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 49 patients, 23 males and 26 females. The mean age was 57.53 years. Commonly associated diseases were diabetes mellitus 8 (16.3%), hypertension 18 (36.7%), and coronary heart disease 14 (28.5%). The ventricular rate was rapid most cases (91.2%). AF was diagnosed as being paroxysmal in 40 (81.6%), persistent in 5 (10.2%), chronic in 3 (6.1%), and lone in 1 (2.0%). Ablation was carried out in 28 (57.1%), the success rate being 90% for pulmonary vein isolation, and 90.9% for atrioventricular node ablation. Complication rate was 2.04%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of AF by RFA is highly effective and safe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, PMB 7001, Nigeria; Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Kelechukwu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uwanuruochi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Engineer, Electrophysiology and Biomedical Engineering, St. Jude Medical, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Sabari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saravanan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganasekar
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Technology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Technology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ravikumar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murugesan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ruchit A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jaishankar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krishnamoorthy
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Madras Medical Mission, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ulhas M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Pandurangi
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; initial outcome; invasive cardiac electrophysiologic studies; radiofrequency ablation