Among patients with a history of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, there is an increased prevalence of early repolarization.

In patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and an ICD who had ventricular tachycardia despite antiarrhythmic drug therapy, there was a significantly lower rate of the composite primary outcome of death, ventricular tachycardia storm, or appropriate ICD shock among patients undergoing catheter ablation than among those receiving an escalation in antiarrhythmic drug therapy. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others; VANISH ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00905853.).

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Background-Atrial fibrillation (AF) may recur after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) as the result of either recurrent PV conduction or non-PV foci. This study characterized the electrophysiological findings of patients with recurrent AF after initially successful PVI and the clinical outcome after a repeat procedure. Methods and Results-Among 185 patients undergoing PVI, 52 reported no significant improvement in their clinical course. We analyzed PV conduction in 51 PVs (15 patients) at repeat PVI. All PVs were isolated with either RF (30 W, 50°C, 60 seconds) or cryoablation (Ϫ80°C for 5 minutes). At repeat study, 42 of the previously isolated 51 PVs had return of conduction. All patients had recurrent conduction in Ն2 PVs, with only 1 non-PV focus identified. The mean number of RF applications required to re-isolate the PVs was fewer at the repeat compared with the initial procedure (10Ϯ6 versus 4Ϯ2, PϽ0.005). Over a period of 15Ϯ6 months, all but 1 patient was clinically improved by the second procedure. Conclusions-In patients with recurrent AF after PVI, return of PV conduction can be expected. Repeat PVI provides significant clinical benefit for these patients. These results suggest that if permanent PV isolation is the ablation strategy, different techniques may be required to improve long-term efficacy.

Objectives To assess whether additional ablation in the right atrium(RA) improves termination rate in long-lasting persistent atrial fibrillation(PsAF). Background Prolongation of atrial fibrillation(AF) cycle length(CL) measured from the left atrial appendage predicts favorable outcome during catheter ablation of PsAF. However, in some patients despite prolongation of AFCL in the left atrium(LA) with ablation, AF persists. We hypothesized that this is due to RA drivers and these patients may benefit from RA ablation. Methods 148 consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation of PsAF(duration 25±32 months) were studied. AFCL was monitored in both atria during stepwise ablation commencing in the LA. Ablation was performed in the RA when all LA sources in AF had been ablated and a RA-LA gradient existed. The procedural endpoint was AF termination. Results Two distinct patterns of AFCL change emerged during LA ablation. In 104patients(70%), there was parallel increase of AFCL in LA and RA culminating in AF termination (baseline: LA 153ms[140,170], RA 155ms[143,171]; after ablation: LA 181ms[170,200], RA 186ms[175,202]). In 24 patients(19%), RA AFCL did not prolong, creating a right-to-left frequency gradient, (baseline: LA 142ms[143,153], RA 145 ms[139,162]; after ablation: LA 177 ms[165–185], RA 152ms[147,175]). These patients had a longer AF history (23versus12 months, p=0.001), and larger RA diameter (42versus39mm, p=0.005) and RA ablation terminated AF in 55%. In the remaining 20 patients, biatrial ablation failed to terminate AF. Conclusions A divergent pattern of AFCL prolongation after LA ablation resulting in a right-to-left gradient demonstrating that the right atrium is driving AF in about 20 % of PsAF.

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Ablation for atrial flutter using an MVG technique results in significantly less ablation requirements than the traditional approach, potentially by concentrating ablation lesions on the muscle bundles responsible for transisthmus conduction.