Usefulness of multidetector computed tomography before and after pulmonary vein isolation.

Objective: To analyze the usefulness of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the preprocedural evaluation and follow-up of patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary veins and the impact of the MDCT findings on the approach to treatment.

Method: We retrospectively analyzed 92 consecutive MDCT studies done in 80 patients between January 2011 and June 2013; 70 (76%) studies were done before a first ablation procedure and 22 (24%) were done in patients who had undergone an ablation procedure.

Results: Findings were useful in 34% of the patients who underwent MDCT before the first ablation procedure and in 68% of the studies done after a procedure.