Efficacy and Safety of Same-Day Discharge for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, health care utilization, and safety of a same-day discharge protocol.

Background: Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common ablation performed. Increasing volumes of AF ablation are placing demands on hospital resources.

Charting a course for cardiac electrophysiology training in Canada: the vital role of fellows in advanced cardiovascular care.

Canadian electrophysiology (EP) fellowship programs have evolved in an ad hoc fashion over 30 years. This evolution has occurred in many fields in medicine and is natural when innovators and pioneers attract research fellows who help change the status quo from predominantly research to a predominantly clinical application and focus. Fellows not only push their supervisors and their centres into new areas of inquiry but also function at the most advanced level to encourage and teach junior trainees and to provide examples of excellence to residents, medical students, and other health professionals.

Three sisters, one pathway.

We present the first reported case of an entire family, 3 sisters, all presenting with symptomatic atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia during a 15-year period, all were found at electrophysiological study to have identically located left lateral accessory pathway, all successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation. This rare familial clustering suggests a genetic contribution to pathway formation.

The role of device diagnostic algorithms in the assessment and management of patients with systolic heart failure: a review.

Hospitalization due to heart failure (HF) exacerbation represents a major burden in health care and portends a poor long-term prognosis for patients. As a result, there is considerable interest to develop novel tools and strategies to better detect onset of volume overload, as HF hospitalizations may be reduced if appropriate interventions can be promptly delivered. One such innovation is the use of device-based diagnostic parameters in HF patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and/or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices.

Complete heart block associated with tricuspid valve endocarditis due to extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli.

We report a case of complete heart block associated with tricuspid endocarditis due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL E. coli) following a transrectal prostate biopsy. This is the first report of complete heart block associated with tricuspid native valve endocarditis.

Double transseptal puncture for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: safety of the technique and its use in the outpatient setting.

Introduction. For pulmonary vein isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), some centers use the double transseptal puncture technique for catheter access in order to facilitate catheter manipulation within the left atrium. However, no safety data has so far been published using this approach.

Feasibility and safety of outpatient radiofrequency catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Percutaneous catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is a procedure performed typically in an inpatient setting. The feasibility and safety of catheter ablation in patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF were evaluated on an outpatient basis.

Methods: 230 AF ablation procedures were performed in 206 patients (74% male; mean age 56+/-9 years).

Ablation of atrial fibrillation after the retirement age: considerations on safety and outcome.

Background: Although the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) progressively increases with age, the vast majority of AF ablation is done in middle-aged patients. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of catheter ablation in patients older than 65 years of age with paroxysmal and persistent AF.

Methods: Out of a total of 230 consecutive AF ablation procedures, 45 patients were older than 65 years of age and underwent 53 procedures.

Cardiac injury after percutaneous catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Small elevations in troponin T levels have been shown with limited radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedures for supraventricular tachycardia, usually to levels below the threshold for ischaemia or infarction. Left atrial catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) requires far more RF energy, therefore could be expected to have greater elevation in troponin T. We determined troponin T levels before and after ablation in these patients to evaluate the amount of rise with this ablation.