Safety of fluoroscopy-guided transseptal approach for ablation of left-sided arrhythmias.

AIMS: The transseptal approach is used for left atrial access during the ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and other left-sided arrhythmia substrates. Transseptal puncture (TP) is commonly performed with fluoroscopic guidance, contrast injection, and pressure monitoring. In many centres, additional techniques [intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE), radiofrequency needle] are used to facilitate TP but its use adds costs. In this retrospective study, we studied the safety and complication rate when TP was routinely done with fluoroscopic guidance, contrast injection, and pressure monitoring using ICE or TEE only in selected cases. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study analysed 4690 consecutive TP performed between 2000 and 2015: 3408 (72.6%) were ablation of AF, left-sided atrial flutter, or left-sided atrial tachycardia (non-AP group); 1153 (24.6%) were ablation of left-sided accessory pathway, AP group; and 129 (2.8%) were ablation of ventricular tachycardia. Transseptal puncture was done under fluoroscopy, pressure monitoring, and commonly using contrast media injection. In 27 procedures, ICE or TEE was used to guide the TP. We found 34 tamponades (Tx) that required pericardial drainage of which 28 (0.59%) could possibly be TP related and six could not. The total complication rate for all Tx was 0.72%. A higher rate of tamponades was observed in the AF (non-AP) group than in the AP group (0.88 vs. 0.17%, P < 0.02). The highest rate of tamponades was registered during the operators 51-100 cases, 1.3%, and decreased to 0.4% in cases 101-200, P = 0.04. CONCLUSION: TP can safely be done under fluoroscopy and pressure monitoring without routine use of additional techniques. With experience, operators should be able to further decrease complication rate.

Mobile telemonitoring for arrhythmias in outpatients in the Republic of Georgia: a brief report of a pilot study.

As the very first trial of mobile telemedicine in the Republic of Georgia, in June-December 2010 we investigated 35 outpatients with different types of arrhythmia (male/female ratio=16/19; 12-80 years old), among them 5 patients with concomitant epilepsy. The control group comprised 7 clinically healthy sportsmen (soccer players, all men; 15-17 years old), during a 30-min velo ergometer stress test. A three-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) loop recorder (Vitaphone BT 3300; Vitasystems GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) was used in automatic mode, using special LRMA software (MDT, Lázne Bohdanec, Czech Republic) and a Nokia (Espoo, Finland) model 6730 Symbian phone. Automatically recorded arrhythmia events were transmitted from the loop recorder by Bluetooth(®) (Bluetooth SIG, Inc., Kirkland, WA) to a phone and then by 3G (through our partner mobile operator, MagtiCom Ltd. [Tbilsi, Georgia]) to the Vitasystems server in Germany and were available to Georgian physicians via e-mail/Internet. Arrhythmias were recorded/monitored during 7-68 h of observation. The number of automatically recorded ECG events varied between 3 and 170 per observation, or 0.4-10.7 hourly. Cases of sinus brady- and tachyarrhythmia, sinus node weakness syndrome, atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, supraventricular premature complexes, and ventricular premature complexes were correctly recognized by automatic recognition software and recorded. In 3 patients and 1 sportsman previously unspecified (despite multiple investigations), arrhythmias were recorded: paroxysmal tachycardia (n=1), sinus node weakness syndrome (n=1), and ventricular premature complexes (n=2). In 3 cases (all women) light insomnia and nervousness were reported. In 2 patients with neurosis (both elderly men, 1 with epilepsy) we had to stop investigation prematurely because of anxiety/agitation. Mobile telecardiology represents feasible methodology to monitor arrhythmias in outpatients in Georgia, promoting earlier discharge of non-life-threatening cases, improving patients' comfort of life, and increasing their mobility with enhanced safety. Mobile telehealth might also represent significant cost-saving for insurance companies (this is an ongoing study). Finally, in remote areas mobile telemonitoring of patients will improve quality of care by timely provision of a second opinion in cases when local expertise is not sufficient.