Perioperative coronary artery spasms in patients undergoing catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

PURPOSE: Catheter ablation (CA) is an established treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). Although coronary artery spasms (CAS) during or after ablation procedures have been described as a rare complication in some case reports, the incidence and characteristics of this complication have not been fully elucidated. The present observational study aimed to clarify the CAS in a large number of patients experiencing AF ablation. METHODS: A total of 2913 consecutive patients (male: 78%, mean 66 ± 10 years) who underwent catheter ablation of AF were enrolled. RESULTS: Nine patients (0.31%, mean 66 ± 10 years, 7 males) had transient ST-T elevation (STE). Eight out of the 9 patients had STE in the inferior leads. STE occurred after the transseptal puncture in 7 patients, after the sheath was pulled out of the left atrium in 1, and 2 h after the ablation procedure in 1. Six patients had definite angiographic CAS without any sign of an air embolization on the emergent coronary angiography. In the3 other patients, the STE improved either directly after an infusion of nitroglycerin or spontaneously before the CAG. The patients with CAS had a higher frequency of a smoking habit (89% vs. 53%; P = .04), smaller left atrial diameter (36 ± 6 vs. 40 ± 7; P = .07), and lower CHADS(2) score (0.6 ± 0.5 vs. 1.3 ± 1.1; P = .004) than those without. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence was rare (0.31%), CAS should be kept in mind as a potentially life-threatening complication throughout an AF ablation procedure especially performed under conscious sedation.