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Updated: Oct 26, 2025

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Use of Adenosine to Release an Entrapped Catheter During Ablation of Premature Ventricular Complexes
Eun-Jeong Kim1, Edward P Gerstenfeld1, Cara N Pellegrini1,2
1Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Insights
Catheter entrapment during ablation is rare but serious. Adenosine can safely free the catheter by prolonging diastole, preventing surgery and reducing patient harm.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Interventional Cardiology
Background:
- Catheter entrapment is an infrequent yet significant complication during cardiac catheter ablation procedures.
- Such entrapment can necessitate invasive surgical intervention, increasing patient morbidity.
Observation:
- During catheter ablation, instances of catheter entrapment were observed.
- The study explored potential non-surgical methods to address this complication.
Findings:
- Administering adenosine to prolong diastole was found to be a safe and effective method for dislodging entrapped catheters.
- This pharmacological approach successfully freed the catheter without surgical intervention.
Implications:
- Adenosine administration offers a viable alternative to surgery for managing catheter entrapment during ablation.
- This strategy can potentially reduce procedural risks, recovery time, and healthcare costs associated with surgical intervention.
Abstract:
Catheter entrapment is a rare complication during catheter ablation that may require surgical intervention. Use of adenosine to prolong diastole can be a safe and effective strategy to free the catheter and avoid significant morbidity. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
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