Rhythm-Monitoring Strategy and Arrhythmia Recurrence in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Trials: A Systematic Review.

Background: : The rhythm-monitoring strategy after catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) impacts the detection of atrial arrhythmia recurrence and is not well characterized. We performed a systematic review and meta-regression analysis to determine whether the duration and mode of rhythm monitoring after CA affects detection of atrial arrhythmia recurrence. Methods: Databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials of adult patients undergoing first CA for AF from 2007 to 2021. Duration and strategy of rhythm monitoring were extracted. Meta-regression was used to identify any association between duration of monitoring and detection of atrial arrhythmia recurrence. The primary measure of outcome was single-procedure recurrence of atrial arrhythmia. Results: The search strategy yielded 57 trial arms from 56 randomized controlled trials comprising 5322 patients: 36 arms of patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF), and 21 arms of patients with persistent AF (PeAF) or both PAF/PeAF. Intermittent monitoring was associated with detection of significantly less atrial arrhythmia recurrence than continuous monitoring in PAF arms (31.2% vs 46.9%, P = 0.001), but not in PeAF/PAF-PeAF combined arms (43.3% vs 63.6%, P = 0.12). No significant relationship was seen between the duration of intermittent rhythm monitoring and atrial arrhythmia recurrence detection in either the PAF (P = 0.93) or PeAF/PAF-PeAF combined arms (P = 0.20). Conclusions: Continuous rhythm monitoring detected higher atrial arrhythmia recurrence rates, compared to intermittent rhythm monitoring, in patients with PAF. The duration of intermittent monitoring did not show a statistically significant relationship to the yield of arrhythmia detection, in near identical cohorts of trial subjects undergoing similar interventions, with clinical and research implications.

Contexte: La stratégie qui consiste à surveiller le rythme cardiaque après une ablation par cathéter dans le traitement de la fibrillation auriculaire (FA) a un effet sur la détection de récidive de l'arythmie auriculaire, mais elle n'est pas bien définie. Nous avons mené une revue systématique et une méta-régression pour déterminer si le mode employé pour surveiller le rythme après une ablation par cathéter et la durée de cette surveillance ont un effet sur la détection de récidive de l'arythmie auriculaire. Méthodologie: Des bases de données ont été systématiquement épluchées à la recherche d'essais contrôlés randomisés menés auprès d'adultes subissant leur première ablation par cathéter pour une FA entre 2007 et 2021. La durée et la stratégie utilisées dans la surveillance du rythme ont été recensées. La méta-régression a été utilisée pour déceler tout lien entre la durée de la surveillance et la détection d'une récidive de l'arythmie auriculaire. Le paramètre d'évaluation principal était la récidive de l'arythmie auriculaire avec une seule intervention. Résultats: La stratégie de recherche a fait ressortir 57 groupes de 56 essais contrôlés randomisés comprenant 5 322 patients : 36 groupes de patients présentant une FA paroxystique et 21 groupes de patients présentant une FA persistante ou ces deux types de FA (paroxystique et persistante). La surveillance intermittente a été associée à une moins grande détection de cas d'arythmie auriculaire récidivante, comparativement à la surveillance constante (31,2 % vs 46,9 %, p = 0,001), ce qui n'a pas été le cas dans les groupes où les types de FA (persistante ou paroxystique et persistante) étaient combinés (43,3 % vs 63,6 %, p = 0,12). Aucun lien notable n'a été observé entre la durée de la surveillance intermittente du rythme et la détection de l'arythmie auriculaire récidivante dans le groupe FA paroxystique (p = 0,93) ou dans le groupe des types de FA combinés (p = 0,20). Conclusions: Le taux de détection de l'arythmie auriculaire récidivante était plus élevé avec la surveillance constante qu'avec la surveillance intermittente chez les patients atteints de FA paroxystique. La durée de la surveillance intermittente n'a pas eu de lien statistiquement significatif avec le rendement de détection de l'arythmie, dans des cohortes presque identiques de participants aux essais subissant des interventions similaires, comportant des implications cliniques ou expérimentales.

A Strategy of Lead Abandonment in a Large Cohort of Patients With Sprint Fidelis Leads.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine outcomes of our approach to managing a large cohort of patients with Sprint Fidelis (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota) leads. BACKGROUND: The optimal management approach for patients with leads under advisory is unknown. Concerns regarding the risk of device infection and complications associated with delaying lead extraction have recently been suggested to argue against abandoning leads under advisory. METHODS: All patients with a Sprint Fidelis lead implanted at our institute were included. Lead management options were discussed with patients who presented for device surgery at the time of device upgrade, lead fracture, or elective replacement indicator. Implantation of a new lead with abandonment of the Sprint Fidelis lead was the recommended strategy. Patients were subsequently followed at the device clinic at 6-month intervals and were enrolled prospectively in a longitudinal registry. RESULTS: A total of 520 patients had Sprint Fidelis leads implanted between December 2003 and October 2007 at the study center; 217 patients underwent lead replacement (213 underwent a lead abandonment strategy and 4 underwent a lead extraction strategy). Mean follow-up after lead replacement was 55 ± 33 months. In patients undergoing lead abandonment, 10 of 213 (4.7%) had a procedural complication and 3 of 213 (1.4%) developed subsequent device infection requiring system extraction. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a Sprint Fidelis lead, implanting a new lead without prophylactic extraction may be a feasible and safe strategy but requires longer follow-up.

Bioprosthetic tricuspid valve dysfunction in patients with transvalvular or epicardial pacing leads.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of native tricuspid valves due to transvenous pacing leads is well described. Patients with bioprosthetic tricuspid valve (BTV) who need ventricular pacing are often advised epicardial lead placement to avoid potential damage to the BTV although there are no data to support this. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of BTV dysfunction in patients with permanent transvenous right ventricular pacemaker lead and compare it to patients with epicardial leads. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with BTV with ventricular pacing lead was conducted. Demographics, lead, BTV, and echocardiographic data were collected. Frequency of BTV dysfunction (moderate or severe) regurgitation or stenosis was compared between epicardial and transvalvular lead groups. RESULTS: Forty-six patients with BTV and ventricular pacing lead (20 transvalvular and 26 epicardial leads) were identified. Mean age was 46 years with the majority being female (85%) and with rheumatic heart disease (87%). Both groups were similar in age, sex, and indications for BTV. Mean echocardiographic follow-up was for 5.5 years (±4.1 years). BTV dysfunction was similar between the transvalvular group with six (30%) patients and the epicardial group with five (19.2%) patients. The incidence of BTV dysfunction was greater in patients in sinus rhythm compared to patients in atrial fibrillation (50% vs 10%, P  =  0.004). CONCLUSION: Development of BTV dysfunction is similar in patients with transvalvular ventricular leads and epicardial leads. The incidence of BTV dysfunction was higher in patients with sinus rhythm compared to atrial fibrillation.

Spectral Doppler interrogation of the pulmonary veins in atrial septal defect.

The various components of the pulmonary venous (PV) flow are linked to physiological and pathological changes that predominantly occur in the left heart. Thus, spectral Doppler interrogation of the PVs provides hemodynamic insight mainly into left-sided cardiac function. An exception to the dependence of PV flow on left heart events occurs in the setting of an atrial septal defect (ASD). The latter causes a portion of the PV blood flow, intended to cross the mitral valve, to be channeled into the more compliant right heart. This phenomenon makes the PV flow more dependent on the left-to-right interatrial shunt. The identification on the PV Doppler of a pattern that suggests uncoupling with left heart hemodynamics should raise the suspicion of an underlying ASD.