Risk factors for venous bleeding complication at the femoral puncture site after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

Endomyocardial biopsy through the left internal jugular vein in heart transplant recipients: a single center experience

Endomyocardial biopsies for rejection monitoring after heart transplantation are generally performed through the right internal jugular vein. We aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of using the left internal jugular vein approach as a valid alternative to a femoral vein for endomyocardial biopsies whenever thrombosis of the right internal jugular vein precludes insertion of a bioptome. We have reviewed our experience with heart transplantation in the last 2 decades to identify patients in whom surveillance endomyocardial biopsy was performed through the left internal jugular vein. We herein describe the step-by-step procedure and report the preliminary results. From May 1, 2000 to January 31, 2024, 561 orthotopic heart transplants have been performed in our unit. In 49 patients (8.7%), the right internal jugular vein access was found to be unsuitable or occluded at eco-Doppler evaluation; in 15 of them (30%) a total of 206 endomyocardial biopsies have been performed, using the left internal jugular vein, without complications. Our experience demonstrates that the left internal jugular vein is a valid alternative approach for endomyocardial biopsies when the right internal jugular vein is not available. This technique is feasible, safe and reproducible and allows adequate rejection monitoring after heart transplantation.

Same-day discharge following catheter ablation and venous closure with VASCADE MVP: A postmarket registry

INTRODUCTION

Early and safe ambulation can facilitate same-day discharge (SDD) following catheter ablation, which can reduce resource utilization and healthcare costs and improve patient satisfaction. This study evaluated procedure success and safety of the VASCADE MVP venous vascular closure system in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS

The AMBULATE SDD Registry is a two-stage series of postmarket studies in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF undergoing catheter ablation followed by femoral venous access-site closure with VASCADE MVP. Efficacy endpoints included SDD success, defined as the proportion of patients discharged the same day who did not require next-day hospital intervention for procedure/access site-related complications, and access site sustained success within 15 days of the procedure.

RESULTS

Overall, 354 patients were included in the pooled study population, 151 (42.7%) treated for paroxysmal AF and 203 (57.3%) for persistent AF. SDD was achieved in 323 patients (91.2%) and, of these, 320 (99.1%) did not require subsequent hospital intervention based on all study performance outcomes. Nearly all patients (350 of 354; 98.9%) achieved total study success, with no subsequent hospital intervention required. No major access-site complications were recorded. Patients who had SDD were more likely to report procedure satisfaction than patients who stayed overnight.

CONCLUSION

In this study, 99.7% of patients achieving SDD required no additional hospital intervention for access site-related complications during follow-up. SDD appears feasible and safe for eligible patients after catheter ablation for paroxysmal or persistent AF in which the VASCADE MVP is used for venous access-site closure.

Alternative vascular accesses in electrophysiological operating rooms: focus on the quality of life in the early postoperative period

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia, the incidence of which increases in parallel with the progressive aging of the population. Atrial fibrillation worsens the prognosis of patients and significantly reduces the quality of life. Improvement of the technical and methodological aspects of catheter procedures leads to their widespread introduction into clinical practice both for the prevention of embolic events and for rhythm control. The need to provide access to the main vessels, more often to the femoral veins, the use of large bore introducers, as well as aggressive regimens of antithrombotic therapy in the postoperative period, bring to the fore local complications of catheter procedures and necessitates to maintain a horizontal position to achieve stable hemostasis. The use of ultrasound imaging can significantly reduce the number of vascular events. However, long-term immobilization often leads to back pain, urinary retention, and infectious complications, which is more pronounced in the older patient population. In order to reduce the immobilization time, many hemostasis systems have been developed, which have disadvantages and require additional costs for the treatment of patients. In this regard, the development and introduction into clinical practice of novel vascular access types to improve the quality of life in the early postoperative period seems relevant. For this purpose, a randomized study is conducted, which compares the efficacy and safety of the distal femoral access, which makes it possible to activate patients as soon as possible after surgery.