Initial experience with the convergent procedure for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation: A 5 year dataset
E. Maclean,
J. Yap,
B. Saberwal,
S. Kolvekar,
W. Lim,
N. Wijesuriya,
N. Papageorgiou,
G. Dhillon,
R.J. Hunter,
M. Lowe,
P. Lambiase,
A. Chow,
H. Abbas,
R. Schilling,
E. Rowland,
S. Ahsan
Affiliations
E. Maclean
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK; William Harvey Research Institute, Charterhouse Square, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, United Kingdom
J. Yap
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
B. Saberwal
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
S. Kolvekar
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
W. Lim
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
N. Wijesuriya
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
N. Papageorgiou
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
G. Dhillon
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
R.J. Hunter
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK; William Harvey Research Institute, Charterhouse Square, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, United Kingdom
M. Lowe
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
P. Lambiase
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK; William Harvey Research Institute, Charterhouse Square, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, United Kingdom
A. Chow
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
H. Abbas
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
R. Schilling
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK; William Harvey Research Institute, Charterhouse Square, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, United Kingdom
E. Rowland
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK
S. Ahsan
Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, UK; Corresponding author.
In patients with longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), outcomes from catheter ablation remain suboptimal. The convergent procedure combines minimally invasive surgical ablation with subsequent catheter ablation, and may contribute towards maintenance of sinus rhythm in this patient group. We performed the convergent procedure on 43 patients with longstanding persistent AF from 2013–2018. Patients underwent clinical review at 3, 6, and 12 months and thereafter as necessitated by their symptoms. Our dataset describes patients’ baseline characteristics and rhythm control protocols, as well as outcomes including arrhythmia recurrence, the need for antiarrhythmic drugs, requirement for repeat rhythm control procedures, and complications. These data provide a real world insight into the risks and benefits of the convergent procedure in patients with longstanding persistent AF.
