Acute electrical isolation is a necessary but insufficient endpoint for achieving durable PV isolation: the importance of closing the visual gap.

Aims: Temporary, ablation-mediated effects such as oedema may cause reversible pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. To investigate this, point-by-point circumferential ablation was performed to achieve acute electrical PV isolation with an incomplete circumferential ablation line. Then, the impact of this intentional 'visual gap' (ViG) on the conduction properties of the ablation lesion set was assessed with adenosine and pacing manoeuvres.

Impact of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator recalls on patients' anxiety, depression, and quality of life.

Background: In the past 2 years, multiple implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) manufacturers have issued recalls on ICD models due to the potential for serious malfunction and even patient death. Previous studies examining the relationship between these recalls and patients' psychological well-being have been limited by small sample size and conflicting results. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between ICD recalls and patients' anxiety, depression, and quality of life.

Ventricular arrhythmia: role of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator and radiofrequency ablation in addition to drugs.

The control of life-threatening arrhythmias in the prevention of sudden cardiac death has been a long-standing challenge to clinicians. Large-scale, randomized, controlled trials have contributed immensely to our understanding of the management of life-threatening arrhythmias. There are many causes of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, which they occur mostly in the setting of healed myocardial infarction.