Scott Willoughby
University of Adelaide, Australia
Title: Time course of prothrombotic response after radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation
Biography
Biography: Scott Willoughby
Abstract
Introduction: Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) confers a five-fold increased risk of stroke. Whether catheter ablation (CA) subsequently decreases prothrombotic risk is unknown.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to define the time course of inflammation, myocardial injury, and prothrombotic markers after radiofrequency ablation for AF and its relation to AF recurrence. In addition, we assessed the long-term effects of CA for AF on prothrombotic risk.
Results and Conclusions: Patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for AF exhibit an inflammatory response within 3 days. The extent of inflammatory response predicts early AF recurrence but not late recurrence. Prothrombotic markers are elevated at 1 week after ablation and may contribute to increased risk of early thrombotic events after AF ablation. Catheter ablation and successful maintenance of SR leads to a decrease in platelet activation and improvement in endothelial function in patients with AF. These findings suggest that AF is an important determinant of the prothrombotic state and that this may be reduced by successful catheter ablation.