Two-Year Follow-up in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Referred for Catheter Ablation of the Atrioventricular Node

• Published in: Journal of atrial fibrillation 2014-02, Vol.6 (5), p.911-911
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Mañero, Moisés, Pujol Salvador, Claudia, Martínez-Sande, Luis, de Asmundis, Carlo, Chierchia, Gian-Battista, Macías Gallego, Alfonso, A Fernández-López, Xulio, José Gavira-Gómez, Juan, García-Seara, Javier, Calvo, Naira, Brugada, Pedro, González-Juanatey, José Ramón, García-Bolao, Ignacio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cardiology; Original Research
• ISSN: 1941-6911; 1941-6911
• DOI: 10.4022/jafib.911

At the present time there is still concern regarding the long-term deleterious effects of right ventricular apical pacing in patients referred for auriculoventricular node ablation (AVNA). Furthermore, scarce information is available regarding differences in the follow up according to the baseline cardiopathy and predictors associated with a worse outcome. 104 consecutives patients referred for AVNA were retrospectively analyzed. Patients included were seen in the outpatient clinic at 6, 12 and 24 months post ablation (mean follow-up 24 ± 2 months). An echocardiogram two years after the procedure was obtained in 68 patients. Three categories were done according to the change in the left ventricular function (LVEF) (increase, decrease or absence of change, defined as less than 10% variation in either LVEF). After two years of follow up there was a decrease in the rate of hospital admission (from 0.9 admission/year to 0.35, p