Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Concomitant Pulsed Field Ablation and Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion for Atrial Fibrillation With Dextrocardia
Gangbin Chen1, Guizhou Ma1, Chumin Ni1
1Department of Cardiology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, P.R. China.
Insights
Pulsed field ablation (PFA) combined with left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion is a safe and feasible treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with dextrocardia. This approach effectively manages rhythm and reduces stroke risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Dextrocardia presents unique challenges for atrial fibrillation (AF) interventions.
- Combined ablation and left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion offer a single-procedure solution for AF management and stroke risk reduction.
- Pulsed field ablation (PFA) shows potential for AF procedures in dextrocardia, but data are limited.
Background:
Dextrocardia is a rare structural abnormality that poses challenge to interventional procedures of atrial fibrillation (AF). Concomitant ablation and left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion offers a single-procedure approach for rhythm control and thromboembolic risk reduction in select patients with AF. Pulsed field ablation (PFA) may offer advantages in concomitant procedures in dextrocardia; however, available data remain limited.
Case Summary:
A 61-year-old man with dextrocardia presented with symptomatic paroxysmal AF. PFA and LAA occlusion were successfully performed guided by multimodal imaging. At 3-month follow-up, no arrhythmia and complete LAA seal was detected.
Discussion:
PFA did not significantly alter the LAA landing zone diameter despite that proximal ridge edema was observed. Intracardiac echocardiography offers significant advantages during the combined procedures.
Take-Home Messages:
PFA-based pulmonary vein isolation combined with LAA occlusion guided by intracardiac echocardiography is a feasible and safe choice for AF with dextrocardia. PFA could induce pulmonary ridge edema but did not affect LAA landing zone dimension.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Disturbances in Heart Rhythm
Arrhythmias are categorized by their speed, rhythm, and origin. A slow heart...
01:30Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy