Cerebral magnetic resonance findings in asymptomatic patients after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation: cause for alarm or further study?

摘要

According to data from a worldwide survey, catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is effective in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm in up to 80% of patients with a serious adverse event rate of 4.5%.' In a randomized comparison with antiarrhythmic drugs, the adverse event rate with ablation was actually lower than for antiarrhythmic agents.2 Nevertheless, the possibility of underreporting adverse events, especially in registries or single center studies, as well as the existence of undiagnosed adverse events remain areas of concern. Cerebral thromboembolism is recognized as a potential complication of catheter based procedures including AF ablation, and new findings bring this much feared complication to the forefront of attention.