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Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Non-fluoroscopic Catheter Tracking for Fluoroscopy Reduction in Interventional Electrophysiology
Published on: May 26, 2015
Occurrence of symptoms after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
Insights
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) increases asymptomatic AF episodes. One ablation procedure is more effective than repeat procedures for reducing AF symptoms and burden.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) management often involves catheter ablation (CA AF).
- Assessing CA AF efficacy requires evaluating both AF burden and patient-reported symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (CA AF).
- To analyze CA AF efficiency based on atrial fibrillation (AF) burden and AF-related symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 133 patients undergoing CA AF with long-term ECG loop recorders.
- Investigation of AF burden and objective symptoms via ECG loop recorder data.
- Identification of subjective AF symptoms during outpatient follow-up.
Main Results:
- A clinically significant increase in asymptomatic AF episodes post-CA AF was observed.
- Single CA AF procedures demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing AF symptoms and burden compared to repeat procedures (re CA AF).
Conclusions:
- The rise in asymptomatic AF episodes has implications for evaluating ablation success and guiding patient management.
- Individualized patient management, particularly regarding antithrombotic therapy, should consider the increase in asymptomatic AF post-ablation.
Objectives:
The aim of our study was to verify the efficiency of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (CA AF) according to the "atrial fibrillation (AF) burden"(time spent in AF) and symptoms related to AF.
Methods:
We retrospectively analysed a selected set of 133 patients with atrial fibrillation (81% men, 19% women) who underwent an invasive therapy in the form of CA AF and at the same time had an implanted long-term ECG loop recorder (Reveal XT) in a period of eight years. We investigated AF burden and objective symptoms of AF by data obtained from a long-term implantable ECG loop recorder. Subjective symptoms related to AF were identified during outpatient controls.
Results:
Firstly, our results demonstrate for the first time a clinically relevant increase in the occurrence of asymptomatic episodes of AF after CA AF. Secondly, when analysing AF symptoms and AF burden at the same time, CA AF in terms of reduction of symptoms and shortening the time in AF had a better effect in patients undergoing 1 procedure (CA AF) compared to patients undergoing repeated procedures (re CA AF).
Conclusion:
The increase in the occurrence of asymptomatic episodes of AF is of considerable importance both for the clinical evaluation of ablation efficacy and for individualized clinical management of patients, especially with respect to antithrombotic therapy (Fig. 10, Ref. 19).
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