I read with interest the article by David et al. regarding a case of recurrent tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy secondary to typical atrial flutter. I have some concerns regarding the management of the recurrences of atrial flutter and tachycardiainduced cardiomyopathy in this case. The authors’ choice of treatment involved DC cardioversion of the atrial flutter that was successful in restori...

Beside heart failure and metabolic syndrome, atrial fibrillation is termed the cardiovascular epidemic of the twenty-first century. Its increased morbidity and mortality is alarming. The present, most effective therapy of atrial fibrillation is catheter ablation. Successful ablation of atrial fibrillation prevents the occurrence and progression of electrical, structural and mechanic myocardium ...

Over the past 5 years, the electrophysiology community has been focused on the development of catheter ablation techniques and ablation systems to cure atrial fibrillation. This endeavour has been fuelled by a number of factors including: (1) the clinical importance of atrial fibrillation because of its high prevalence in the general population, associated symptoms, stroke risk, and increased m...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the effects of stepwise catheter ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) on atrial electrical and mechanical properties. BACKGROUND Although stepwise catheter ablation of chronic AF is associated with acute arrhythmia termination and a favorable clinical outcome, atrial tissue damage following the procedure has not been evaluated. METHODS Forty ...

The era of catheter ablation for the treatment of arrhythmias began in 1981, when Dr. Melvin Scheinman performed the first atrioventricular junction ablation using direct-current shocks in a patient with drug-refractory atrial fibrillation and an uncontrolled ventricular rate.1 Because of the barotrauma associated with intracardiac high-energy shocks, direct-current catheter ablation played onl...

The era of catheter ablation for the treatment of arrhythmias began in 1981 when Dr. Melvin Scheinman performed the first atrioventricular junction ablation using direct current shocks in a patient with drug refractory atrial fibrillation and an uncontrolled ventricular rate.1 Because of the barotrauma associated with intracardiac, high energy shocks, direct current catheter ablation played onl...

Supraventricular arrhythmias are relatively common, often persistent, and rarely life-threatening cardiac rhythm disturbances that arise from the sinus node, atrial tissue, or junctional sites between the atria and ventricles. The term "supraventricular arrhythmia" most often is used to refer to supraventricular tachycardias and atrial flutter. The term "supraventricular tachycardia" commonly r...

Radiofrequency catheter ablation has become a curative treatment for some patients with symptomatic drug refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). However, adequate selection of candidates for catheter ablation is important because of the potential, albeit infrequent, complications of the procedure (incidence reported in up to 4% of procedures), its costs, and the non-negligible rate of recurrence o...

Background: Catheter and cryoballoon ablation are established treatments for atrial fibrillation. Frequently, substrate modification of the left atrium is performed in patients with persistent AF or evidence of left atrial adverse remodeling. We compared one year outcomes of AF ablation with substrate modification utilizing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) compared to a combination of cry...

et al. Relationship between left atrial and left ventricular function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a real-time-3-dimensional echocardiographic study. A, ten Cate FJ. Left atrial Frank-Starling law assessed by real-time, three-dimensional echocardiographic left atrial volume changes. A et al. Fate of left atrial function as determined by real-time three-dimensonal echocardiography study after...