Radiofrequency needle for transseptal puncture is associated with lower incidence of thromboembolism during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: propensity score-matched analysis.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation requires transseptal puncture to access the left atrium. Recently, a radiofrequency (RF) needle was developed. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of MRI-confirmed acute cerebral embolism (ACE) during AF ablation procedures performed with RF needle versus mechanical needle transseptal puncture. This study consisted of 383 consecutive patients who underwent catheter ablation for AF that required transseptal puncture with mechanical or radiofrequency transseptal needles. Of those, 232 propensity score-matched patients (116 with each needle type) were included in the analysis. All patients had cerebral MRI performed 1 or 2 days after the procedure. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Total procedure time was significantly shorter in Group RF than Group non-RF (167 ± 50 vs. 181 ± 52 min, P = 0.01). ACE was detected by MRI in 59 (25%) patients. All patients with ACE were asymptomatic. Incidence of ACE was lower in Group RF than Group non-RF (19 vs. 32%, P = 0.02). B-type natriuretic peptide level was higher in the patients with ACE as compared to those without ACE (65.2 ± 68.7 vs. 44.7 ± 55.1 pg/ml, P = 0.02). In multivariable analysis, the use of RF needle and BNP level was related to the incidence of ACE (OR = 0.499, 95% CI 0.270-0.922, P = 0.03 and OR = 1.005, 95% CI 1.000-1.010, P = 0.03). Use of RF needle for transseptal puncture was associated with lower total procedure time and risk of ACE during catheter ablation of AF.

Atrial fibrillation diagnosed by a medical checkup is associated with a poor outcome of catheter ablation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), especially asymptomatic cases, is often detected by medical checkups. We investigated the outcome of AF ablation in cases detected by medical checkups. We reviewed the data of 735 patients with AF (56 ± 10 years, paroxysmal: 441 patients) who underwent initial catheter ablation. All patients were divided into two groups based on their AF being diagnosed either by a medical checkup (group M) or not (group NM). AF was diagnosed by medical checkups in 263 (36%) patients. In Group M, the age was younger, time from the diagnosis to ablation shorter, left atrium dimension larger, and left ventricular ejection fraction lower than in Group NM. Male gender, persistent AF, and asymptomatic AF were more frequently seen in Group M than in Group NM. A mean of 13 ± 11 months after the initial ablation procedure, AF recurrence was more frequently observed in group M compared to group NM (P = 0.018). While the AF recurrence rate was similar in both groups in persistent AF patients (P = 0.87), it was more frequently observed in Group M than in Group NM in paroxysmal AF patients (P = 0.005). AF diagnosed by medical checkups was often associated with a worse outcome of catheter ablation, especially in paroxysmal AF patients.

Temporal recovery and prognostic factors for dysphagia following cardiovascular surgery: Retrospective analysis and development of predictive score.

OBJECTIVE: Dysphagia is a common complication associated with cardiovascular surgery (CVS). This study sought to better understand recovery timelines, identify risk factors, and create a prognostic model for oral intake restoration. METHODS: This retrospective study included 134 patients who had CVS between April 2022 and March 2024. We assessed swallowing ability through fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). We randomly divided the patients' data into a training dataset and a test dataset in a ratio of 70/30 and Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox regression were used to assess predictors of total oral intake. We also created a scoring system using the estimated regression coefficients. RESULTS: Most patients with CVS achieved total oral intake in 7-11 days after extubation. Over 168 h of intubation, the presence of penetration or aspiration, a poor FEES score (score > 6), and perioperative complications were significant risk factors for delayed total oral intake. The predicting score was calculated by adding the scores for each individual factor, including FEES score, penetration/aspiration, and preoperative complications. Scores ranged 0-8, categorizing patients into 0-2, 3-5, and 6-8 groups, clearly demonstrating that the higher the predicting score, the longer the time to total oral intake in both the training and the test dataset. CONCLUSIONS: All risk factors for unsuccessful or delayed total oral intake were intubation for more than a week, poor swallowing ability, and the presence of perioperative complications. The scoring system accurately predicts the restoration of oral intake following CVS.

Skin Acceleration Levels Estimated by a Neck-surface Accelerometer during Phonation Are Affected by The Mechanical Properties of The Anterior Cervical Skin.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess whether skin acceleration levels (SAL) estimated by a neck-surface accelerometer (ACC) are affected by the anterior neck skin condition. METHODS: Each of six healthy non-dysphonic participants wore a headset microphone (MIC), had an ACC sensor fitted on the skin over the cervical trachea, and were subsequently asked to gradually increase the vocal loudness during sustained phonation of the vowel /e:/ (crescendo task), while the sound pressure levels on a sound level meter (SPLSLM) and MIC/ACC signals were simultaneously recorded. Root mean squared values were calculated from the MIC and ACC signals as the sound pressure level (SPLMIC) and SAL, respectively, and the relationships between SPLSLM and SAL were compared between neck anteflexion and retroflexion or between outward and inward skin retraction on both sides of the sensor. RESULTS: In the total samples for the successful crescendo performance in a natural head position, the SPLMIC and SPLSLM showed a strong linear correlation (r=0.980), whereas the correlation between the SAL and SPLSLM showed a distorted regression line (r=0.765) with individual differences. In all participants, the anteflexion and inward skin retraction decreased the SAL value at the same SPLSLM value, whereas the retroflexion increased the SAL value at the same SPLSLM value. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the signal intensity of a neck-surface ACC is affected by the condition of the anterior cervical skin, perhaps leading to inter-individual variability in SAL measurements.

The Feasibility of Gastroesophageal Manometry for Continuously Evaluating the Degree of Expiratory Effort During Successful Crescendo Phonation.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of gastroesophageal manometry for continuously evaluating the degree of expiratory effort by measuring the pressures in the digestive tract during crescendo phonation. METHODS: Each of 18 healthy nondysphonic speakers had a probe with a four-channel gastroesophageal manometer inserted through the nasal cavity to place four pressure sensors in the hypopharynx, cervical-/thoracic esophagus, and stomach, and was asked to gradually increase the vocal loudness during sustained phonation of the vowel /e:/ (vowel-crescendo task), while the sound pressure level and the pressures were simultaneously recorded. RESULTS: 50% of the successful vowel-crescendo task samples with a gradual and adequate sound pressure level increase showed a concomitant gradual increase in both the intra-thoracic-esophageal/intra-gastric pressure values from approximately -5 mmHg /6 mmHg to -10 mmHg/20 mmHg, respectively. The maximum pressure value was the highest in the intra-gastric pressure followed by the intra-thoracic-esophageal and intra-cervical-esophageal pressures in order. However, most of the samples showed less than one of atypical pressure changes, such as fluctuations in the intra-thoracic-esophageal and intra-gastric pressure changes and dispersion in the intra-cervical-esophageal and intra-hypopharyngeal pressure values (perhaps due to the peristaltic motions, and the contact of the sensors to the membranous wall). CONCLUSION: These results show that, during successful crescendo phonation, gastroesophageal manometry reveals a gradual increase in the intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal pressures with increasing the vocal intensity, even though showing some systematic errors, suggesting the usefulness of gastroesophageal manometry for continuously evaluating the degree of expiratory effort without influence by the laryngeal condition.

Clinical significance of early recurrence of atrial fibrillation after cryoballoon vs. radiofrequency ablation-A propensity score matched analysis.

OBJECTIVES: One of the mechanisms of early recurrence of atrial fibrillation (ERAF) after AF ablation is considered to be the inflammatory reaction of the atrial tissue. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical significance of ERAF at each stage for true AF recurrence between cryoballoon (CB) and radiofrequency (RF) ablation. METHODS: Among 798 paroxysmal AF patients who underwent an initial ablation, 460 patients (CB, n = 230; RF, n = 230) were selected by propensity score matching. Very ERAF (VERAF), ERAF-1M, ERAF-3M and true AF recurrence were defined as AF recurrence at 0-2, 3-30, 31-90 days and more than 90 days after the procedure, respectively. RESULTS: The patient characteristics of the two groups were similar. ERAF was observed 21% and 27% in the CB and RF groups, respectively. In both the CB and RF group, VERAF, ERAF-1M and ERAF-3M were more frequently observed in patients with true AF recurrence than in those without. In a multivariable analysis, ERAF-1M and ERAF-3M were found to be independent predictors of true AF recurrence in both the CB (P = 0.04 and P<0.001, respectively) and RF groups (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively). However, while VERAF was associated with true AF recurrence after RF ablation (P = 0.03), it was not associated with true AF recurrence after CB ablation (P = 0.19). CONCLUSION: The relationship between ERAF and true AF recurrence differed between the RF and CB ablation groups. While VERAF was associated with true AF recurrence after RF ablation, it was not a predictor of true AF recurrence after CB ablation.

Anatomical and Procedural Factors of Severe Pulmonary Vein Stenosis After Cryoballoon Pulmonary Vein Ablation.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the anatomical or procedural factors associated with severe pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis after cryoballoon PV isolation. BACKGROUND: PV stenosis is a complication associated with cryoballoon ablation. METHODS: The study included 170 consecutive patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent cryoballoon ablation. In addition to factors generally considered to be related to the occurrence of PV stenosis (PV size, cryoballoon application number and time, and minimum freezing temperature), we evaluated the following 4 factors: 1) depth of balloon position; 2) the PV angle (internal angle between each PV and horizontal line); 3) noncoaxial balloon placement (hemispherical occlusion); and 4) contact surface area between the cryoballoon and the PV wall (defined as the balloon contact ratio). RESULTS: Severe PV stenosis (≥75% area reduction) was observed in 9 (1.3%) PVs (6 left superior and 3 right superior PVs) in 9 patients. The PV size, cryoballoon application number and time, minimum freezing temperature, and the depth of cryoballoon position were not significantly associated with occurrence of severe PV stenosis, but the PV angle was significantly smaller in PVs with severe stenosis than it was in those without stenosis (25.6 ± 9.7° vs. 34.2 ± 6.4°; p < 0.001). Hemispherical occlusion was more frequently observed and balloon contact ratio was larger in PVs with severe stenosis (55.6% vs. 14.8%; p = 0.049) than in those without stenosis (0.70 ± 0.06 vs. 0.54 ± 0.08; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A horizontally connecting PV, noncoaxial placement of cryoballoon, and a larger contact surface area of the cryoballoon were predictors of the occurrence of severe PV stenosis after cryoballoon ablation.

Effect of air removal with extracorporeal balloon inflation on incidence of asymptomatic cerebral embolism during cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic cerebral embolism (ACE) is sometimes detected after cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation. The removal of air bubbles from the cryoballoon before utilization may reduce the rate of ACE. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the incidence of ACE between a conventional and a novel balloon massaging method during cryoballoon ablation. METHODS: Of 175 consecutive patients undergoing initial cryoballoon ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 60 (34.3%) patients underwent novel balloon massaging with extracorporeal balloon inflation in saline water (group N) before the cryoballoon was inserted into the body. The remaining 115 (65.7%) patients underwent conventional balloon massaging in saline water while the balloon remained folded (group C). Of those, 86 propensity score-matched patients were included. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. In group N, even after balloon massaging in saline water was carefully performed, multiple air bubbles remained on the balloon surface when the cryoballoon was inflated in all cases. Postprocedural cerebral magnetic resonance imaging detected ACE in 14.0% of all patients. The incidence of ACE was significantly lower in group N than in group C (4.7% vs 23.3%; P = .01). According to multivariable analysis, the novel method was the sole factor associated with the presence of ACE (odds ratio 0.161; 95% confidence interval 0.033-0.736; P = .02). CONCLUSION: Preliminary removal of air bubbles in heparinized saline water with extracorporeal balloon inflation reduced the incidence of ACE. Since conventional balloon massaging failed to remove air bubbles completely, this novel balloon massaging method should be recommended before cryoballoon utilization.