PURPOSE: Despite undergoing successful catheter ablation of typical atrial flutter (AFL), patients remain at increased risk for ischemic stroke. However, data on risk prediction tools for the development of stroke after AFL ablation are lacking. This study investigates whether CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is useful for predicting ischemic stroke after successful ablation of typical AFL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 293 patients (236 men, mean age 56.1±13.5 years) who underwent successful radiofrequency catheter ablation for typical AFL were included in this study. The clinical end point was occurrence of ischemic stroke during follow-up after AFL ablation. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (60.8±45.9 months), ischemic stroke occurred in 18 (6%) patients at a median of 34 months (interquartile range, 13–65 months). CHA₂DS₂-VASc score [hazard ratio 2.104; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.624–2.726; p < 0.001] was an independent predictor for the occurrence of stroke after AFL ablation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for CHA₂DS₂-VASc score was 0.798 (95% CI, 0.691–0.904). The CHA₂DS₂-VASc score could be used to stratify patients into two groups with different incidences of ischemic stroke (1.6% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.001) at a cutoff value of 2. CONCLUSION: CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is useful in a prediction model for the risk of stroke after catheter ablation of typical AFL.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Atrial Flutter/*surgery ; Brain Ischemia/epidemiology/*etiology ; Catheter Ablation/*adverse effects ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/*epidemiology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; ROC Curve ; Risk Assessment/*methods ; Seoul/epidemiology ; Stroke/epidemiology/*etiology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of combined radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with RFA alone for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies that compared the clinical or oncologic outcomes of combination therapy of TACE and RFA versus RFA for the treatment of HCC were identified through literature searches of electronic databases (Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Google Scholar). Hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were combined as the effective value to assess the summary effects. The strength of evidence was rated by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. RESULTS: Six RCTs with 534 patients were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the combination of TACE and RFA is associated with a significantly longer overall survival (HR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.49-0.78, p < 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (HR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40-0.76, p < 0.001) in contrast with RFA monotherapy. The seemingly higher incidence of major complications in the combination group compared with RFA group did not reach statistical significance (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.39-3.55, p = 0.78). CONCLUSION: In patients with HCC, the combination of TACE and RFA is associated with significantly higher overall survival and recurrence-free survival, as compared with RFA monotherapy, without significant difference in major complications.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*surgery ; Catheter Ablation/adverse effects/*methods ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic/adverse effects/*methods ; China ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*surgery ; Odds Ratio ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis is a complication of ablation therapy for arrhythmias. We report two cases with chronic lung parenchymal abnormalities showing no improvement and waxing and waning features, which were initially diagnosed as nonspecific pneumonias, and finally confirmed as PV stenosis. When a patient presents for nonspecific respiratory symptoms without evidence of infection after ablation therapy and image findings show chronic and repetitive parenchymal abnormalities confined in localized portion, the possibility of PV stenosis should be considered.
Atrial Fibrillation/surgery ; Catheter Ablation/*adverse effects/methods ; Constriction, Pathologic/diagnosis/*radiography ; *Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Lung/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia/diagnosis ; Pulmonary Infarction/pathology/*radiography ; Pulmonary Veins/physiopathology/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/adverse effects ; Vascular Diseases/physiopathology

BACKGROUNDOver the past two decades, the clinical presentation of renal masses has evolved, where the rising incidence of small renal masses (SRMs) and concomitant minimal invasive treatments have led to noteworthy changes in paradigm of kidney cancer. This study was to perform a proportional meta-analysis of observational studies on perioperative complications and oncological outcomes of partial nephrectomy (PN) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

METHODSThe US National Library of Medicine's life science database (Medline) and the Web of Science were exhaustly searched before August 1, 2013. Clinical stage 1 SRMs that were treated with PN or RFA were included, and perioperative complications and oncological outcomes of a total of 9 565 patients were analyzed.

RESULTSPatients who underwent RFA were significantly older (P < 0.001). In the subanalysis of stage T1 tumors, the major complication rate of PN was greater than that of RFA (laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN)/robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN): 7.2%, open partial nephrectomy (OPN): 7.9%, RFA: 3.1%, both P < 0.001). Minor complications occurred more frequently after RFA (RFA: 13.8%, LPN/RPN: 7.5%, OPN: 9.5%, both P < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, the relative risks for minor complications of RFA, compared with LPN and OPN, were 1.7-fold and 1.5-fold greater (both P < 0.01), respectively. Patients treated with RFA had a greater local progression rate than those treated by PN (RFA: 4.6%, LPN/RPN: 1.2%, OPN: 1.9%, both P < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, the local tumor progression for RFA versus LPN/RPN and OPN were 4.5-fold and 3.1-fold greater, respectively (both P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe current data illustrate that both PN and RFA are viable strategies for the treatment of SRMs. Compared with PN, RFA showed a greater risk of local tumor progression but a lower major complication rate, which is considered better for poor candidates. PN is with no doubt the golden treatment for SRMs, and LPN has been widely accepted as the first option for nephron-sparing surgery by experienced urologists. RFA may be the best option for select patients with significant comorbidity.

Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; surgery ; therapy ; Nephrectomy ; adverse effects ; methods

We present a case of a patient with rapid deterioration of esophageal varices caused by portal hypertension accompanied by a large arterioportal shunt that developed after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma. We used n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) as an embolic material to achieve pinpoint embolization of the shunt, because the microcatheter tip was 2 cm away from the shunt site. Under hepatic arterial flow control using a balloon catheter, the arterioportal shunt was successfully embolized with NBCA, which caused an improvement in the esophageal varices.
Aged ; Arteriovenous Fistula/etiology/radiography/*therapy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*surgery ; Catheter Ablation/*adverse effects ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Enbucrilate/*therapeutic use ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/etiology/*therapy ; Hepatic Artery/*abnormalities/radiography ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*surgery ; Male ; Portal Vein/*abnormalities/radiography

Adult ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Ethanol ; Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans

This study describes the first case of biliary peritonitis after radiofrequency ablation diagnosed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA), a hepatocyte-specific MR imaging contrast agent. The image acquired 300 minutes after the administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA was useful to make a definite diagnosis and to identify the pathway of bile leakage. It is important to decide on the acquisition timing with consideration of the predicted location of bile duct injury.
Aged, 80 and over ; Bile Duct Diseases/*diagnosis/etiology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis/surgery ; Catheter Ablation/*adverse effects ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gadolinium DTPA/*diagnostic use ; Hepatectomy/adverse effects/methods ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/*surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Male ; Peritonitis/*diagnosis/etiology

OBJECTIVE: To analyze retrospectively cause, prevention and management of postoperative hemorrhage in surgery of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in children using plasma-mediated radio-frequency (pmRF) ablation at low temperature. METHOD: Tonsil and adenoid ablation were carried out in 4028 cases diagnosed with OSAHS, using ENTColator lI plasma system of Arthocare company under general anesthesia. RESULT: Postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 37 cases of 4028 cases, among which 1 case occurred after tonsil ablation and other 36 cases occurred after adenoid ablation. Primary hemorrhage was in 7 cases, while secondary hemorrhage in other 30 cases. Cessation of bleeding was achieved by using different methods of hemostasis in all cases. CONCLUSION Tonsil and adenoid ablation were performed by pmRF at low temperature with advantages of less trauma, less bleeding. However, postoperative hemorrhage might occur in a few cases (accounting for 0.92%). Postoperative hemorrhage in these patients was related with preoperatively incomplete control of inflammation of tonsil or adenoid, surgeon's experience, intraoperatively incomplete hemostasis, postoperative crying and restlessness, eating improperly in two weeks after surgery, coagulation factor deficiency. In case of postoperative hemorrhage, good outcome could be achieved by management of compression, pmRF at low temperature, bipolar coagulation.
Adolescent ; Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cold Temperature ; Humans ; Infant ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo analyze the major complications of percutaneous cooled-tip microwave ablation for the treatment of primary liver cancer and the possible risk factors of severe complications in a series of 693 patients.

METHODSThe clinicopathological data of 693 patients with primary liver cancer who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous cooled-tip microwave (MW) ablation in our hospital over the past 5 years were retrospectively analyzed, and the risk factors of severe complications were explored.

RESULTSIn a total of 693 patients with 898 primary liver tumors were treated and 1111 MW ablation sessions were performed. The mean diameter of tumors was (2.5 ± 1.2) cm and the range was 0.4 - 10.0 cm. Three deaths occurred in the peri-ablation period, including one case died of multiorgan failure, one case died of pulmonary embolism and one case died of hepatorenal syndrome. Major complications occurred in 27 (3.9%) patients, including 12 pleural effusion requiring thoracentesis (1.7%), 10 tumor seeding (1.4%), 3 liver abscess and empyema (0.4%), 1 hemorrhage requiring arterial embolization (0.1%), and 1 bile duct injury (0.1%). The Chi-square test results showed that the diameter of tumors, number of MW ablation sessions and histological type of tumor were significantly associated with the major complications rate (P < 0.05). The multiple variables 1ogistic regression analysis showed that only type of tumors was associated with the major complication rate (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSResults of this study confirm that cooled-tip MW ablation is a relatively low-risk and effective minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of primary liver cancer. Proper direction for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients as well as fewer ablated tumor numbers during one hospital stay may help minimize the major complication rate in patients with primary liver cancer treated by ultrasound-guided percutaneous cooled-tip microwave ablation.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Abscess ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Male ; Microwaves ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Seeding ; Pleural Effusion ; etiology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

Cartilage ; pathology ; Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngeal Nerves ; Microwaves ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Thyroid Gland ; surgery ; Trachea ; pathology ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; etiology