Management of Atrial Tachycardias Arising in the Context of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Abstract

With the discovery of the pulmonary veins as drivers of atrial fibrillation a decade ago, left atrial ablations are undertaken widely with the aim to isolate the pulmonary veins and to modify the atrial substrate of atrial fibrillation (sites of continuously fractionated electrical activity, linear ablations). Therefore, the incidence of left atrial scar-related tachycardia has substantially increased. The differential diagnosis of the three different atrial tachycardia mechanisms is presented in this chapter. Typical clinical examples with electrocardiograms (ECGs) and intracardiac findings of the atrial tachycardias are presented. The incidence, diagnosis and the ablative treatment of scar-related atrial tachycardia are presented and discussed.