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      Atrioesophageal fistula following ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation: systematic review of case reports

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          Abstract

          Background

          Atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) is a rare but serious adverse event of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.

          Objective

          To identify the clinical characteristics of AEF following ablation procedures for AF and determine the associated mortality.

          Methods

          A systematic review of observational cases of AEF following ablation procedures for AF was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement protocol.

          Results

          53 cases were identified. Mean age was 54±13 years; 73% (39/53) of cases occurred in males. Mean interval between procedure and presentation was 20±12 days, ranging from 2 to 60 days. AEF was observed in 12 patients who underwent surgical radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and in 41 patients with percutaneous RFA. Fever was the most common presenting symptom (n=44) followed by neurological deficits (n=27) and haematemesis (n=19). CT of the chest (n=27) was the preferred diagnostic test. Patients who did not receive a primary esophageal repair were more likely to have a deadly outcome (34% vs 83%; p<0.05). No difference in mortality rate was found between patients who underwent surgical RFA when compared with percutaneous RFA (58% vs 56%; p=0.579). No association was found between onset of symptoms and mortality (19±10 vs 23±14 days; p=0.355).

          Conclusions

          AEF following ablation procedures for AF is a serious complication with high mortality rates. Presenting symptoms most often include a triad of fever, neurological deficit and/or haematemesis within 60 days of procedure. The preferred diagnostic test is CT of the chest. The treatments of choice is surgical repair.

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          Most cited references61

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          Prevalence and causes of fatal outcome in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

          The purpose of this study was to provide a systematic multicenter survey on the incidence and causes of death occurring in the setting of or as a consequence of catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF). CA of AF is considered to be generally safe. However, serious complications, including death, have been reported. Using a retrospective case series, data relevant to the incidence and cause of intra- and post-procedural death occurring in patients undergoing CA of AF between 1995 and 2006 were collected from 162 of 546 identified centers worldwide. Thirty-two deaths (0.98 per 1,000 patients) were reported during 45,115 procedures in 32,569 patients. Causes of deaths included tamponade in 8 patients (1 later than 30 days), stroke in 5 patients (2 later than 30 days), atrioesophageal fistula in 5 patients, and massive pneumonia in 2 patients. Myocardial infarction, intractable torsades de pointes, septicemia, sudden respiratory arrest, extrapericardial pulmonary vein (PV) perforation, occlusion of both lateral PVs, hemothorax, and anaphylaxis were reported to be responsible for 1 death each, while asphyxia from tracheal compression secondary to subclavian hematoma, intracranial bleeding, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and esophageal perforation from an intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic probe were causes of 1 late death each. Death is a complication of CA of AF, occurring in 1 of 1,000 patients. Knowledge of possible precipitating causes is key to operators and needs to be considered during decision making with patients.
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            Complications of atrial fibrillation ablation in a high-volume center in 1,000 procedures: still cause for concern?

            Catheter ablation is potentially curative treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, complications are more frequent and more severe compared with other ablation procedures. We investigated the complication rate in 1,000 AF ablation procedures in a high-volume center and examined possible risk factors. One thousand consecutive circumferential pulmonary vein radiofrequency ablations were performed for symptomatic, drug-refractory AF. Major complications were defined as the ones that were life threatening, caused permanent harm, and required intervention or prolonged hospitalization. Thirty-nine (3.9%) major periprocedural complications were observed. There was no death immediately associated with the procedure. However, there were 2 deaths (0.2%) of unclear cause, 14 days and 4 weeks after ablation. The most common complications were tamponade (1.3%), treated mainly by percutaneous drainage, and vascular complications (1.1%). There were also 4 thromboembolic events (0.4%): 3 nonfatal strokes and one transient ischemic attack. Importantly, 2 cases (0.2%) of atrial-esophageal fistula and 2 cases (0.2%) of endocarditis were observed. Factors associated with an increased complication risk were age > or = 75 years (hazard ratio 3.977, P = 0.022) and congestive heart failure (hazard ratio 5.174, P = 0.001). AF ablation still has a considerable number of major complications that may be life threatening or may lead to severe residues. Atrial-esophageal fistula is still observed despite continuous systematic methods to prevent it. Stroke, tamponade, and vascular complications are the most frequent major complications. However, in most patients treatment can be conservative and results in complete recovery. Advanced age and congestive heart failure seem to be associated with an increased risk of complications.
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              Thermal esophageal lesions after radiofrequency catheter ablation of left atrial arrhythmias.

              Radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with left atrial arrhythmias may cause esophageal damage because of the close proximity between the posterior wall of the left atrium and the esophagus. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the incidence, endoscopic characterization, and endoluminal temperature dependency of esophageal thermal lesions after catheter ablation. In all, 185 consecutive patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation or left atrial macro-re-entrant tachycardia who underwent left atrial radiofrequency catheter ablation were scheduled for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. During the ablation procedure, a non-fluoroscopic three-dimensional system for catheter orientation, computed tomography (CT) image integration, and activation mapping was used. The esophagus was intubated with a temperature probe for visualization within the three-dimensional image and for real-time intraluminal temperature monitoring. A total of 27 (14.6%) asymptomatic ulcer-like or hemorrhagic esophageal thermal lesions with a diameter of 2-16 mm were observed. Esophageal lesions did not occur below an intraluminal esophageal temperature of 41 degrees C. The maximal temperature in the esophagus was significantly higher in patients with thermal lesions than in patients without lesions (42.6+/-1.7 degrees C vs. 41.4+/-1.7 degrees C, P=0.003). For every 1 degrees C increase in endoluminal temperature, the odds of an esophageal lesion increased by a factor of 1.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.74, P=0.012). No progression of the lesions was observed during follow-up endoscopies. Localized esophageal ulcer-like lesion is a frequent event after left atrial catheter ablation and can be found in patients whose intraluminal temperature has reached at least 41 degrees C.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Open Heart
                Open Heart
                openhrt
                openheart
                Open Heart
                BMJ Publishing Group (BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JR )
                2053-3624
                2015
                10 September 2015
                : 2
                : 1
                : e000257
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Division of Cardiology, St Luke's—Roosevelt Hospital Center, Mount Sinai Healthcare System , New York, New York, USA
                [2 ]University of Miami Hospital, University of Miami , Miami, Florida, USA
                Author notes
                [Correspondence to ] Dr Patricia Chavez; Pchavez@ 123456chpnet.org
                Article
                openhrt-2015-000257
                10.1136/openhrt-2015-000257
                4567782
                26380098
                c10923ff-6f0f-4bf2-9015-6c17bc958139
                Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions

                This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

                History
                : 1 March 2015
                : 12 May 2015
                : 2 June 2015
                Categories
                Arrhythmias and Sudden Death
                1506
                Review

                cardiac surgery
                cardiac surgery

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