title: Safety and efficacy in ablation of premature ventricular contraction: data from the German ablation registry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are often highly symptomatic with significantly reduced quality-of-life. We evaluated the outcome and success of PVC ablation in patients in the German Ablation Registry.
  
  
  METHODS
  The German Ablation Registry is a nationwide prospective multicenter database of patients who underwent an ablation procedure, initiated by the "Stiftung Institut für Herzinfarktforschung" (IHF), Ludwigshafen, Germany. Data were acquired from March 2007 to May 2011. Patients underwent PVC ablation in the enrolling ablation centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 408 patients (age 53.5 ± 15 years, 55 % female) undergoing ablation for PVCs were included. 32 % of patients showed a co-existing structural heart disease. Acute ablation success of the procedure was 82 % in the overall patient group. In patients without structural heart disease, acute success was significantly higher compared with patients with structural heart disease (86 vs. 74 %, p = 0.002). All patients were discharged alive after a median of 3 days. No patient suffered an acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or major bleeding. After 12 months' follow-up, 99 % of patients were still alive showing a significant different mortality between patients with structural heart disease compared with those without (2.3 vs. 0 %, p = 0.012). In addition, 76 % of patients showed significantly improved symptoms after 12 months of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the data from this registry, ablation of PVCs is a safe and efficient procedure with an excellent outcome and improved symptoms after 12 months.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der LMU München, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauferkrankungen (DZHK), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany. Stephanie.fichtner@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4100-6292
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fichtner
authors.affiliation: Stiftung Institut für Herzinfarktforschung (IHF), Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Senges
authors.affiliation: Stiftung Institut für Herzinfarktforschung (IHF), Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hochadel
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tilz
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eckardt
authors.affiliation: Herz- und Gefäßklinik Bad Neustadt, Bad Neustadt, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deneke
authors.affiliation: Peter Osypka Herzzentrum, Internistische Klinik Dr. Müller, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lewalter
authors.affiliation: Klinikum München-Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dorwarth
authors.affiliation: Helios Klinikum München-West, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reithmann
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Coburg, Coburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brachmann
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Kardiologie am Klinikum Starnberg, Starnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinbeck
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der LMU München, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauferkrankungen (DZHK), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kääb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018879:Ventricular Premature Complexes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Ablation; Left ventricular outflow tract; PVC; Premature ventricular contraction; Registry; Right ventricular outflow tract