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Same-Day Discharge Versus Overnight Stay After Catheter Ablation: An Observational Matched-Cohort Study on Safety and
Insights
Same-day discharge (SDD) after electrophysiology procedures is a safe option for selected patients, reducing healthcare burdens. This approach showed similar complication rates and no increased readmissions compared to overnight stays.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Catheter ablation is a standard treatment for cardiac arrhythmias.
- Rising atrial fibrillation (AF) incidence increases healthcare system strain.
- Same-day discharge (SDD) can improve resource use and patient satisfaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of SDD following electrophysiology procedures.
- To compare outcomes of SDD versus overnight stay (ONS) for arrhythmia treatments.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of patients undergoing SDD electrophysiology procedures.
- Comparison with matched patients undergoing overnight stay (ONS).
- Evaluation of baseline, periprocedural, and 30-day outcomes, including complications and readmissions.
Main Results:
- SDD patients were younger with fewer comorbidities than ONS patients.
- Procedural complication rates were similar between SDD (2%) and ONS (6%) groups (p=0.279).
- No significant difference in early complications or readmissions between SDD and ONS cohorts.
Conclusions:
- SDD is a safe alternative to ONS for selected patients undergoing electrophysiology procedures.
- No same-day discharged patients required rehospitalization the following day.
- Successful SDD rates reached 85.8% in a subsequent analysis.
Background:
Catheter ablation is an established therapy for arrhythmias. As the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) rises, the associated burden on the health-care system is expected to increase. Same-day discharge (SDD) may help optimize resource utilization and increase patient comfort and satisfaction.
Methods:
Consecutive patients undergoing SDD electrophysiology procedures were prospectively enrolled in the study and compared in a non-randomized manner with consecutive overnight stay (ONS) patients who were matched to them according to procedure type. SDD patients were evaluated on the day after the procedure. SDD Patients who were not discharged on the day of the procedure were excluded. Baseline, periprocedural, and 30-day outcomes were documented and compared.
Results:
100 patients underwent SDD electrophysiology procedures from September 2022 to March 2025. The SDD patients were younger and had a lower prevalence of coronary artery disease and chronic kidney disease than their counterparts in the ONS cohort. The most common procedure was AF ablation. Procedural complications arose in 2% (95% confidence interval: [0.6; 7.0]) vs. 6% [2.8; 12.5] in SDD and ONS patients, respectively, p =0.279. Complications up to the day of discharge, or up to the evaluation on post-procedure day 1 in the SDD group were reported in 10% [5.5; 17.4] and 17% [10.9, 25.6] of patients, respectively, p = 0.214. Complications were identified on post-procedure day 1 in 8 SDD patients, none of whom needed to be readmitted to the hospital. The numbers of emergency room consultations, unplanned outpatient visits, and rehospitalizations were similar in the two groups. In a subsequent analysis from January to May 2026, 85.8% of patients scheduled for SDD ablation were successfully discharged on the day of the procedure.
Conclusion:
In this prospective study, SDD after electrophysiology procedures was found to be a safe alternative to ONS in selected patients. None of the patients who were discharged on the same day as the procedure needed to be rehospitalized on the day after.
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