Complications of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation and Prevention Methods

Abstract

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of different arrhythmias carries inherent risks due to the nature of the tissue disruption obtained by heating the tip of the ablation catheter. Perforation of heart chambers and bleeding, thromboembolic complications, and complete AV block when ablating in the AV node-His area are the most feared. Most of these complications are related to the access, positioning of the catheters and radiofrequency itself and not to the imaging modality use to guide catheter navigation in the heart and the afferent or efferent vessels. We describe how to prevent and manage complications arising from the new paradigm of an EP lab working without fluoroscopy.