This study looked at 255 patients who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Researchers specifically examined those who developed intraprocedural atrial tachycardia (IAT) during the surgery compared to patients who did not have this complication. The main goal was to see if having IAT affected how well patients maintained a normal heart rhythm one year later.
The team found that 13.33% of patients experienced IAT during the procedure. Despite this complication, the overall rate of maintaining sinus rhythm at 12 months was 78.0%. When comparing the two groups directly, patients with IAT had a 12-month success rate of 79.4%, while those without IAT had a rate of 77.8%. This difference was not statistically significant, meaning the presence of IAT did not lead to worse long-term results.
Researchers also identified right atrial enlargement as an independent risk factor for developing IAT. They observed that most of these tachycardias involved macro-reentrant circuits around the tricuspid or mitral annuli. The study was conducted at a single center, which limits how broadly these results can be applied immediately. However, the findings suggest that identifying and treating IAT during the procedure allows patients to achieve a prognosis similar to those without the complication.
