Intracardiac catheter ablation for the treatment of arrhythmia
Ablation is a procedure to treat atrial fibrillation. It uses small burns or freezes to cause some scarring on the inside of the heart to help break up the electrical signals that cause irregular heartbeats.[1]
Anesthesia type |
General |
---|---|
Airway |
ETT |
Lines and access |
2 PIVs (Usually one larger gauge 16/18). +/- arterial line |
Monitors |
Standard, Esophageal Temperature Probe |
Primary anesthetic considerations | |
Preoperative |
These patients are usually already on anticoagulants. If they are not, expect a TEE to be performed before the start of the procedure to rule out any thrombus in the LAA. |
Intraoperative |
Before ablation, the proceduralist will often ask you to reposition the esophageal temperature probe to ensure that the esophagus is not damaged during ablation. Monitor closely and frequently inform proceduralists of esophageal temperature. Serial ACTs will be drawn throughout the procedure. Patients will receive IV heparin throughout the case as instructed by proceduralists. Paralytic is often contraindicated during maintenance as the proceduralist will pace the phrenic nerve during the ablation to ensure it remains intact. An excellent alternative is to run a remifentanil infusion during the case. |
Postoperative | |
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Editor rating | |
User likes | 0 |
Overview
Indications
Surgical procedure
Preoperative management
Patient evaluation
System | Considerations |
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Airway | |
Neurologic | |
Cardiovascular | |
Pulmonary | |
Gastrointestinal | |
Hematologic | |
Renal | |
Endocrine | |
Other |
Labs and studies
Operating room setup
Patient preparation and premedication
Intraoperative management
Monitoring and access
Standard Monitors. Establish two PIVs (one large bore in case of myocardial perforation). +/- arterial line (consider EF). +/- OG tube.
Induction and airway management
Positioning
Supine. Arms will be tucked. Ensure all lines are neatly tucked and off of the floor to ensure they are not caught by the swinging C-arm.
Maintenance and surgical considerations
Maintenance of anesthesia with inhalation agent at 0.7 - 1 MAC with a remifentanil infusion (0.05 - 0.5 mcg/kg/min). Consider addition of phenylephrine infusion as well. Proceduralists like to know if any vasopressors are added during the case as they monitor for cardiac tamponade/atrial perforation. I have found it helpful to start a low dose phenylephrine infusion at the beginning of case to maintain hemodynamics.
Emergence
Standard emergence. Closure of access site in groin often requires pressure to be held for 15- 30 min. Consider timing emergence to include this. Today, a closure device may be used at access site which negates this additional time.
Postoperative management
Disposition
Pain management
Potential complications
Procedure variants
Variant 1 | Variant 2 | |
---|---|---|
Unique considerations | ||
Position | Supine | Supine |
Surgical time | ||
EBL | ||
Postoperative disposition | ||
Pain management | ||
Potential complications |
References
- ↑ "Atrial Fibrillation Ablation". www.hopkinsmedicine.org. 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-08-08.