Heart Rhythm
Volume 7, Issue 2 , Pages 181-183 , February 2010

The isolated appendage: A new victim of collateral damage during atrial fibrillation ablation?

  • Samuel J. Asirvatham, MD, FHRS

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Samuel J. Asirvatham, Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55905

References 

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  2. Chen SA, Hsieh MH, Tai CT, et al. Initiation of atrial fibrillation by ectopic beats originating from the pulmonary veins: electrophysiological characteristics, pharmacological responses, and effects of radiofrequency ablation. Circulation. 1999;100:1879–1886
  3. Cappato R, Calkins H, Chen SA, et al. Prevalence and causes of fatal outcome in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009;53:1798–1803
  4. Bai R, Patel D, Di Biase L, et al. Phrenic nerve injury after catheter ablation: should we worry about this complication?. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2006;17:944–948
  5. Kesek M, Englund A, Jensen SM, Jensen-Urstad M. Entrapment of circular mapping catheter in the mitral valve. Heart Rhythm. 2007;4:17–19
  6. Chan CP, Wong WS, Pumprueg S, et al. Inadvertent electrical isolation of the left atrial appendage during catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm. 2010;7:173–180
  7. Takahashi Y, Sanders P, Rotter , et al. Disconnection of the left atrial appendage for elimination of foci maintaining atrial fibrillation. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2005;16:917–919
  8. O'Donnell D, Bourke JP, Furniss SS. Interatrial transseptal electrical conduction: comparison of patients with atrial fibrillation and normal controls. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2002;13:1111–1117
  9. Cabrera JA, Ho SY, Climent V, Sanchez-Quintana D. The architecture of the left lateral atrial wall: a particular anatomic region with implications for ablation of atrial fibrillation. Eur Heart J. 2008;29:356–362
  10. Asirvatham S, Friedman P, Packer D, Edwards W. Is there an endocardial marker for the vein/ligament of Marshall?. Circulation. 2001;100:568
  11. Asirvatham S, Packer D. Evidence of electrical conduction within the coronary sinus musculature by non-contact mapping. Circulation. 1999;100:4486
  12. Hou Y, Scherlag BJ, Lin J, et al. Ganglionated plexi modulate extrinsic cardiac autonomic nerve input: effects on sinus rate, atrioventricular conduction, refractoriness, and inducibility of atrial fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;50:61–68
  13. Kapa S, Asirvatham SJ. Atrial fibrillation: focal or reentrant or both? : a new autonomic lens to examine an old riddle. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2009;2:345–348
  14. Garcia-Villarreal OA, Rodriguez H, Trevino A, Gouveia AB, Arguero R. Left atrial reduction and mitral valve surgery: the “functional-anatomic unit” concept. Ann Thorac Surg. 2001;71:1044–1045
  15. Fatkin D, Kelly RP, Feneley MP. Relations between left atrial appendage blood flow velocity, spontaneous echocardiographic contrast and thromboembolic risk in vivo. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1994;23:961–969
  16. Bhaktaram VJ, Asirvatham S, Sebastian C, Chandrasekaran K, Sivaram CA. Large pulmonary vein varix diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography: an unusual site for thrombus in atrial fibrillation. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1998;11:213–215
  17. Albirini A, Scalia GM, Murray RD, et al. Left and right atrial transport function after the Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation: an echocardiographic Doppler follow-up study. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1997;10:937–945
  18. Nathan H, Eliakim M. The junction between the left atrium and the pulmonary veins (An anatomic study of human hearts). Circulation. 1966;34:412–422
  19. Fountain RB, Holmes DR, Chandrasekaran K, et al. The PROTECT AF (WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System for Embolic PROTECTion in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) trial. Am Heart J. 2006;151:956–961
  20. Wrigley BJ, Lip GY. Can the WATCHMAN device truly PROTECT from stroke in atrial fibrillation?. Lancet Neurol. 2009;8:877–878
  21. Friedman PA, Asirvatham SJ, Dalegrave C, et al. Percutaneous epicardial left atrial appendage closure: preliminary results of an electrogram guided approach. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2009;20:908–915
  22. Asirvatham S. Innovation focus: the patient with arrhythmia. J Cardiovasc Transl Res. 2008;1:258–272
  23. Bayard YL, Ostermayer SH, Sievert H. Transcatheter occlusion of the left atrial appendage for stroke prevention. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2005;3:1003–1008

PII: S1547-5271(09)01301-0

doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.11.015

Heart Rhythm
Volume 7, Issue 2 , Pages 181-183 , February 2010

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