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.