1
|
Tzeis S, Gerstenfeld EP, Kalman J, Saad E, Shamloo AS, Andrade JG, Barbhaiya CR, Baykaner T, Boveda S, Calkins H, Chan NY, Chen M, Chen SA, Dagres N, Damiano RJ, De Potter T, Deisenhofer I, Derval N, Di Biase L, Duytschaever M, Dyrda K, Hindricks G, Hocini M, Kim YH, la Meir M, Merino JL, Michaud GF, Natale A, Nault I, Nava S, Nitta T, O'Neill M, Pak HN, Piccini JP, Pürerfellner H, Reichlin T, Saenz LC, Sanders P, Schilling R, Schmidt B, Supple GE, Thomas KL, Tondo C, Verma A, Wan EY. 2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2024; 67:921-1072. [PMID: 38609733 DOI: 10.1007/s10840-024-01771-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the Asia Pacific HRS, and the Latin American HRS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward P Gerstenfeld
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Kalman
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne and Baker Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eduardo Saad
- Electrophysiology and Pacing, Hospital Samaritano Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason G Andrade
- Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Tina Baykaner
- Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Serge Boveda
- Heart Rhythm Management Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France
- Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hugh Calkins
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ngai-Yin Chan
- Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Minglong Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shih-Ann Chen
- Heart Rhythm Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nikolaos Dagres
- Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Charité University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ralph J Damiano
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Isabel Deisenhofer
- Department of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicolas Derval
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Luigi Di Biase
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Katia Dyrda
- Department of Cardiology, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gerhard Hindricks
- Department of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Charité University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Meleze Hocini
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Young-Hoon Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mark la Meir
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel-Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jose Luis Merino
- La Paz University Hospital, Idipaz, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Viamed Santa Elena, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gregory F Michaud
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrea Natale
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, TX, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Interventional Electrophysiology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Division of Cardiology, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabelle Nault
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec (IUCPQ), Quebec, Canada
| | - Santiago Nava
- Departamento de Electrocardiología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología 'Ignacio Chávez', Ciudad de México, México
| | - Takashi Nitta
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mark O'Neill
- Cardiovascular Directorate, St. Thomas' Hospital and King's College, London, UK
| | - Hui-Nam Pak
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Tobias Reichlin
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis Carlos Saenz
- International Arrhythmia Center, Cardioinfantil Foundation, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Boris Schmidt
- Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Medizinische Klinik III, Agaplesion Markuskrankenhaus, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gregory E Supple
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Claudio Tondo
- Department of Clinical Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Atul Verma
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Elaine Y Wan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tzeis S, Gerstenfeld EP, Kalman J, Saad EB, Sepehri Shamloo A, Andrade JG, Barbhaiya CR, Baykaner T, Boveda S, Calkins H, Chan NY, Chen M, Chen SA, Dagres N, Damiano RJ, De Potter T, Deisenhofer I, Derval N, Di Biase L, Duytschaever M, Dyrda K, Hindricks G, Hocini M, Kim YH, la Meir M, Merino JL, Michaud GF, Natale A, Nault I, Nava S, Nitta T, O’Neill M, Pak HN, Piccini JP, Pürerfellner H, Reichlin T, Saenz LC, Sanders P, Schilling R, Schmidt B, Supple GE, Thomas KL, Tondo C, Verma A, Wan EY. 2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Europace 2024; 26:euae043. [PMID: 38587017 PMCID: PMC11000153 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euae043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, and the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stylianos Tzeis
- Department of Cardiology, Mitera Hospital, 6, Erythrou Stavrou Str., Marousi, Athens, PC 151 23, Greece
| | - Edward P Gerstenfeld
- Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Kalman
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne and Baker Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Eduardo B Saad
- Electrophysiology and Pacing, Hospital Samaritano Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason G Andrade
- Department of Medicine, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Tina Baykaner
- Division of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Serge Boveda
- Heart Rhythm Management Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France
- Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hugh Calkins
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ngai-Yin Chan
- Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Minglong Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shih-Ann Chen
- Heart Rhythm Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, and Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | | | - Ralph J Damiano
- Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Isabel Deisenhofer
- Department of Electrophysiology, German Heart Center Munich, Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicolas Derval
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Luigi Di Biase
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Katia Dyrda
- Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Meleze Hocini
- IHU LIRYC, Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Stimulation Department, Fondation Bordeaux Université and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), Pessac-Bordeaux, France
| | - Young-Hoon Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Korea University College of Medicine and Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mark la Meir
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jose Luis Merino
- La Paz University Hospital, Idipaz, Universidad Autonoma, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Viamed Santa Elena, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Andrea Natale
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David’s Medical Center, Austin, TX, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Interventional Electrophysiology, Scripps Clinic, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Division of Cardiology, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Isabelle Nault
- Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec (IUCPQ), Quebec, Canada
| | - Santiago Nava
- Departamento de Electrocardiología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología ‘Ignacio Chávez’, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Takashi Nitta
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mark O’Neill
- Cardiovascular Directorate, St. Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College, London, UK
| | - Hui-Nam Pak
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Tobias Reichlin
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis Carlos Saenz
- International Arrhythmia Center, Cardioinfantil Foundation, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Boris Schmidt
- Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien, Medizinische Klinik III, Agaplesion Markuskrankenhaus, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gregory E Supple
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Section, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Claudio Tondo
- Department of Clinical Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Atul Verma
- McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Elaine Y Wan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sohns C, Bergau L, El-Hamriti M, Fox H, Molatta S, Braun M, Khalaph M, Imnadze G, Sommer P. Posterior wall substrate modification using optimized and contiguous lesions in patients with atrial fibrillation. Cardiol J 2022; 29:917-926. [PMID: 33346368 PMCID: PMC9788747 DOI: 10.5603/cj.a2020.0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiofrequency (RF) linear ablation at the left atrial (LA) roof and bottom to isolate the LA posterior wall using contiguous and optimized RF lesions was evaluated. Achieving isolation of the LA posterior wall is challenging as two continuous linear lesion sets are necessary. METHODS Forty consecutive patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) and arrhythmia substrates affecting the LA posterior wall underwent posterior wall isolation by linear lesions across the roof and bottom. The cohort was divided into two groups: group 1 (20 patients) linear ablation guided by contact force (CF) only; group 2 (20 patients) guided by ablation index (AI) and interlesion distance. RESULTS Bidirectional block across the LA roof and bottom was achieved in 40/40 patients. Additional endocardial RF applications in 5 patients from group 1 vs. 3 patients from group 2 resulted in posterior wall isolation in all patients. Procedure duration was almost equal in both groups. CF and AI were significantly higher in group 2 for the roof line, whereas no statistical difference was found for the bottom line. AI-guided LA posterior wall isolation led to a significantly lower maximum temperature increase. The mean AI value as well as the mean value for catheter-to-tissue CF for the roof line were significantly higher when AI-guided ablation was performed. Standard deviation in group 2 showed a remarkably lower dispersion. CONCLUSIONS Ablation index guided posterior wall isolation for substrate modification is safe and effective. AI guided application of the posterior box lesion allows improved lesion formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Sohns
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Leonard Bergau
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Mustapha El-Hamriti
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Henrik Fox
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Heart Failure Department, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Stephan Molatta
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Martin Braun
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Moneeb Khalaph
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Guram Imnadze
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Philipp Sommer
- Clinic for Electrophysiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lycke M, Kyriakopoulou M, El Haddad M, Wielandts JY, Hilfiker G, Almorad A, Strisciuglio T, De Pooter J, Wolf M, Unger P, Vandekerckhove Y, Tavernier R, de Waroux JBEP, Duytschaever M, Knecht S. Predictors of recurrence after durable pulmonary vein isolation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Europace 2021; 23:861-867. [PMID: 33367708 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euaa383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) reduces AF recurrence, AF burden, and improves quality of life. Data on clinical and procedural predictors of arrhythmia recurrence are scarce and are flawed by the high rate of pulmonary vein reconnection evidenced during repeat procedures after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). In this study, we identified clinical and procedural predictors for AF recurrence 1 year after CLOSE-guided PVI, as this strategy has been associated with an increased PVI durability. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients with paroxysmal AF, who received CLOSE-guided PVI and who participated in a prospective trial in our centre, were included in this study. Uni- and multivariate models were plotted to find clinical and procedural predictors for AF recurrence within 1 year. Three hundred twenty-five patients with a mean age of 63 years (CHA2DS2VASc 1 [1-3], left atrium diameter 41 ± 6 mm) were included. About 60.9% were male individuals. After 1 year, AF recurrence occurred in 10.5% of patients. In a binary logistic regression analysis, the diagnosis-to-ablation time (DAT) was found to be the strongest predictor of AF recurrence (P = 0.011). Diagnosis-to-ablation time ≥1 year was associated with a nearly two-fold increased risk for developing AF recurrence. CONCLUSION The DAT is the most important predictor of arrhythmia recurrence in low-risk patients treated with durable pulmonary vein isolation for paroxysmal AF. Whether reducing the DAT could improve long-term outcomes should be investigated in another trial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lycke
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Maria Kyriakopoulou
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium.,Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Milad El Haddad
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Jean-Yves Wielandts
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Gabriela Hilfiker
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Almorad
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Teresa Strisciuglio
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Jan De Pooter
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium.,Department of Cardiology, UZ Gent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael Wolf
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Philippe Unger
- Department of Cardiology, CHU Saint Pierre, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yves Vandekerckhove
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - René Tavernier
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | | | - Mattias Duytschaever
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| | - Sébastien Knecht
- Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, Bruges 8000, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Berte B, Kobza R, Toggweiler S, Schüpfer G, Duytschaever M, Hoop V, Lehnick D, Santangeli P, Pürerfellner H. Improved Procedural Efficiency of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Using a Dedicated Ablation Protocol and Lean Management. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2020; 7:321-332. [PMID: 33632635 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2020.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In this study the authors hypothesized that "Lean management" within a dedicated ablation protocol could standardize the pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedure and improve quality. BACKGROUND There is a large variability in safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of PVI. METHODS This was a single-center prospective study with inclusion of all consecutive PVI procedures from 2017 to 2019. A 3-step intervention was introduced based on Lean management: step 1) simplification (CLOSE protocol); step 2) waste elimination (higher power shorter duration); and step 3) improved standardization (Lab Optimization Tool [LOT]). PVI was divided into steps that were tracked (in minutes) using LOT. Parameters were compared in 6-month intervals. RESULTS Overall, 295 patients (146 patients with LOT) were analyzed. Step 1 reduced skin-to-skin procedure duration (2017: 119 ± 21 min vs. 2018: 77 ± 15 min; p < 0.001) and variance (from 2018 to 2019 p = 0.024). Step 2 reduced the radiofrequency time (2017: 38 ± 6 min vs. 2018: 20 ± 3 min; p < 0.001) and variance (from 2018 to 2019 p < 0.001). Analysis of step 3 demonstrated that only 53% of the entire procedure length (143 ± 22 min) was used for treatment (skin-to-skin time 77 ± 16 min), the remaining time being devoted for setup (42 ± 12 min, 29%); left atrial access (16 ± 7 min, 12%); respiratory gating, left atrial map, and pseudo-circle annotation (10 ± 6 min, 7%); ablation (39 ± 10 min, 27%); and bilateral block validation (10 ± 8 min, 7%). CONCLUSIONS Standardization of PVI using a dedicated ablation protocol and Lean management can help to reduce procedure and radiofrequency ablation duration and variance, and increase procedural efficiency without compromising safety. To improve health care utilization, increased efficiency should become an accepted goal in addition to procedural safety and effectiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Berte
- Heart Centre and Management, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Luzern, Switzerland; Health Economics, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Richard Kobza
- Heart Centre and Management, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Luzern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Toggweiler
- Heart Centre and Management, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Luzern, Switzerland
| | - Guido Schüpfer
- Heart Centre and Management, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Luzern, Switzerland
| | | | - Vanessa Hoop
- Clinical Support, Biosense Webster, Johnson and Johnson, Zug, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Lehnick
- Center for Biostatistics and Methodology CTU, Lucerne University, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Pasquale Santangeli
- Cardiology Department, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|