Introduction
Catheter ablation is one of several well-established therapies for
atrial fibrillation (AF),1 but is a complex
interventional procedure which is associated with a significant risk of
complications.1 A previous study showed an overall
incidence of complications of 6.3%,2 and
decompensated heart failure (DHF) can occur after catheter
ablation.3
There is a wide variety of risk factors for DHF, such as overhydration,
tachycardia, bradycardia, and blood pressure
elevation.4 Irrigation fluid, sedation, and invasion
may also cause DHF after catheter ablation.4 In
addition, cardiac output decreases in more than one-third of patients
with cardioversion of AF, recovering by degrees over four
weeks.5 These factors are thought to induce DHF after
the procedure, however, it is not easy to identify whether DHF occurs
after catheter ablation in the clinical setting.
Here, we investigated the incidence of and risk factors for DHF in
patients undergoing AF ablation.