Transcatheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Multicenter Propensity Score-Based Analysis.

Background: The prognostic impact of catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients has not yet been satisfactorily elucidated.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of CA of AF on clinical outcomes in a large cohort of HCM patients.

Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, 555 HCM patients with AF were enrolled, 140 undergoing CA and 415 receiving medical therapy.

Long-term results of thoracoscopic ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: is the glass half full or half empty?

Objectives: Previous series showed the outcomes of thoracoscopic ablation of stand-alone symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) for up to 7 years of follow-up. The goal of this study was to assess the long-term durability of surgical pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) beyond 7 years.

Methods: Fifty consecutive patients {mean age 55 [standard deviation (SD): 11.

Heart-team hybrid approach to persistent atrial fibrillation with dilated atria: the added value of continuous rhythm monitoring.

Objectives: To assess by a continuous implantable rhythm monitoring (ILR) the mid-term outcomes of a staged-hybrid approach for patients with persistent/long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and dilated atria.

Methods: Fifty patients [age 57 (standard deviation, SD: 8.3), previous catheter ablation 66%, AF history 6.

Etiology is a predictor of recurrence after catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias in pediatric patients.

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are rare in pediatric patients, especially in absence of structural heart disease (SHD). Few data are available regarding the invasive VAs treatment with catheter ablation (CA) in pediatric patients and predictors of outcomes have not been fully investigated.

Objective: To describe the clinical presentation, procedural characteristics, and outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing CA for VAs.

High-Density Characterization of the Ventricular Electrical Substrate During Sinus Rhythm in Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize, during sinus rhythm, the electric activation abnormalities in post-myocardial infarction patients undergoing ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in order to identify specific signatures of those abnormal electrograms (EGMs).

Background: In the setting of VT ablation, substrate characterization hinges on the identification of local abnormal ventricular activity (LAVA) and late potentials (LPs) that are considered to be related to the VT circuit.

Methods: Patients scheduled for VT ablation underwent high-density ventricular substrate mapping.

Long-Term Outcome After Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy: Late Potential Abolition and VT Noninducibility.

Background: In patients with an ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), the combination of late potential (LP) abolition and postprocedural ventricular tachycardia (VT) noninducibility is known to be the desirable end point for a successful long-term outcome after VT ablation. We investigated whether LP abolition and VT noninducibilty have a similar impact on the outcomes of patients with non-ICMs (NICM) undergoing VT ablation.

Methods: A total of 403 patients with NICM (523 procedures) who underwent a VT ablation from 2010 to 2016 were included.

Bipolar radiofrequency ablation for ventricular tachycardias originating from the interventricular septum: Safety and efficacy in a pilot cohort study.

Background: Interest has grown in recent years in bipolar radiofrequency ablation (B-RFA). However, indications and outcome in patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) are still to be defined.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe patient selection, safety and effectiveness of B-RFA, in a pilot cohort study of patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) and drug-refractory VT.

The COVID-19 challenge to cardiac electrophysiologists: optimizing resources at a referral center.

Purpose: To describe how a referral center for cardiac electrophysiology (EP) rapidly changed to comply with the ongoing COVID-19 healthcare emergency.

Methods: We present retrospective data about the modification of daily activities at our EP unit, following the pandemic outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Italy. In particular, in the context of a pre-existing "hub-and-spoke" network, we describe how procedure types and volumes have changed in the last 3 months.

Long-term Outcomes of Stand-Alone Maze IV for Persistent or Long-standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: The study sought to assess the long-term outcomes of the stand-alone Cox-Maze IV procedure in symptomatic patients with refractory, persistent, or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Fifty-nine consecutive patients (mean age 52 ± 10.5 years, previous catheter ablation 80%, left ventricular ejection fraction 55% ± 3.

Phrenic Nerve Limitation During Epicardial Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the incidence of phrenic nerve (PN) limitation and the utility of displacing the PN with a balloon.

Background: The PN can limit the epicardial ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Methods: From 2010 to 2017, 363 patients undergoing VT epicardial ablation at a single center were studied.

Late potentials abolition reduces ventricular tachycardia recurrence after ablation especially in higher-risk patients with a chronic total occlusion in an infarct-related artery.

Introduction: Late potentials (LP) abolition is recognized as an effective strategy for substrate ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT). The presence of a chronic total occlusion in a coronary artery responsible for a previous myocardial infarction (infarct related artery CTO, IRA-CTO) is emerging as a predictor of ventricular arrhythmias and VT recurrence after ablation. We sought to analyze the effects of LP abolition, focusing on the high-risk subgroup of patients with IRA-CTO.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Hemodynamic Support of Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation.

Background: We report the experience in a cohort of consecutive patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during catheter ablation of unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT) at our center.

Methods And Results: From 2010 to 2015, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated in 64 patients (average age: 63±15 years; left ventricular ejection fraction in 27±9%; cardiogenic shock in 23%, and electrical storm in 62% of patients) undergoing 74 unstable VT catheter ablation procedures. At least one VT was terminated in 81% of procedures with baseline inducible VT, and VT noninducibility was achieved in 69%.

Electroanatomical voltage and morphology characteristics in postinfarction patients undergoing ventricular tachycardia ablation: pragmatic approach favoring late potentials abolition.

Background: Catheter ablation is an important therapeutic option in postmyocardial infarction patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT). We analyzed the endo-epicardial electroanatomical mapping (EAM) voltage and morphology characteristics, their association with clinical data and their prognostic value in a large cohort of postmyocardial infarction patients.

Methods And Results: We performed total and segmental analysis of voltage (bipolar dense scar [DS] and low voltage areas, unipolar low voltage and penumbra areas) and morphology characteristics (presence of abnormal late potentials [LPs] and early potentials [EPs]) in 100 postmyocardial infarction patients undergoing electroanatomical mapping-based VT ablation (26 endo-epicardial procedures) from 2010-2012.

Electrophysiological findings and long-term outcomes of percutaneous ablation of atrial arrhythmias after surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation†.

Objectives: Percutaneous ablation (PA) for relapsing atrial tachyarrhythmias after surgical ablation is an emerging therapy. The aim of this study is to report the electrophysiological findings and the procedural long-term outcomes of reablation, in this particular clinical setting.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed all patients who were readmitted to our centre for relapsing atrial arrhythmias after surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).