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Updated: Oct 11, 2025
Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
[2019 Catheter Ablation Registry of the Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing]
Giuseppe Stabile1, Federico Guerra2, Gianfranco Tola3
1Anthea Hospital, Bari - Clinica Montevergine, Mercogliano (AV) - Clinica San Michele, Maddaloni (CE).
Insights
The 2019 Italian Catheter Ablation Registry shows atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia treated. Procedures increasingly use 3D mapping and near-zero fluoroscopy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Presents findings from the 2019 Italian Catheter Ablation Registry.
- Data collected by the Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing (AIAC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on catheter ablation procedures in Italy in 2019.
- To identify trends in arrhythmia treatment and technology adoption.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective data collection via standardized questionnaires.
- Analysis of 15,201 ablation procedures from 91 institutions.
Main Results:
- Atrial fibrillation was the most frequent arrhythmia treated (32.9%).
- 88.4% of ablations targeted supraventricular arrhythmias.
- 3D mapping systems were used in 67.4% of procedures, with near-zero fluoroscopy in 30.4%.
Conclusions:
- Confirms atrial fibrillation as the primary target for catheter ablation in Italy.
- Highlights increased utilization of 3D mapping and reduced fluoroscopy in ablations.
Background:
This report describes the findings of the 2019 Italian Catheter Ablation Registry of the Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing (AIAC).
Methods:
Data collection was retrospective. A standardized questionnaire was completed by each of the participating centers.
Results:
A total of 15 201 ablation procedures were performed by 91 institutions. Most (78%) of the centers has one electrophysiology laboratory, and 17% of them has a hybrid cardiac surgery laboratory. Almost all (98%) centers have a 3D mapping system. The median number of electrophysiologists and nurses involved in the electrophysiology laboratory was 3 and an electrophysiology technician was involved in 30% of all centers. In 88.4% of cases, ablations were performed for supraventricular arrhythmias, and among these the most frequently treated arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (32.9%), followed by atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (23.9%), and common atrial flutter (11.7%). In 10 256 (67.4%) patients catheter ablation was performed by means of a 3D mapping system, with a "near-zero" fluoroscopic approach in 4626 (30.4%) of all patients.
Conclusions:
The 2019 Italian Catheter Ablation Registry confirmed that atrial fibrillation is the most commonly treated arrhythmia in the ablation centers with an increasing number of procedures performed with a 3D mapping system and a "near-zero" approach.
