Atrial Flutter Following Cardiac Transplantation Successfully Treated with Catheter Ablation

pp 408-410

Abstract

Supraventricular arrhythmias are frequently found during follow-up of patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. Radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial flutter has proved to be the treatment of choice in patients with and without underlying heart disease; however, there are few reports of the efficacy of this technique after cardiac transplantation. We describe the case of a 26-year old male patient who developed atrial flutter during the follow-up of cardiac transplantation. The electrophysiology study revealed the presence of a typical, counterclockwise atrial flutter in the isthmus of the donor’s right atrium. The recipient right atrium was insinus rhythm with dissociation of electrical activity. Radiofrequency energy was delivered at the level of the right atrio-atrial suture line of the isthmus and the atrial flutter was interrupted. Both right atria remained in sinus rhythm, dissociated by bidirectional block at the level of the anastomosis.