Study Design
To better assess the relationship between AF ablation and postoperative
HF, we first conducted a retrospective study of all patients undergoing
AF ablation at St Vincent Hospital (Indianapolis, IN, USA) from March 1,
2017 to September 30, 2018. Medical records were examined to ascertain
HF incidence in the 30-day postoperative period. International
Classification of Disease, version 10 codes for clinical heart failure
were used to ascertain the primary endpoint, which was gleaned from
telephone encounters, office visits, emergency room visits, or
hospitalizations (see supplement table 1).
After analysis of the retrospective cohort, we then designed a
prospective, single center, cohort study examining 100 consecutive
patients undergoing AF ablation at our institution from February 2019 to
June 2019. Excluded patients were unable or unwilling to consent, could
not have LAP successfully measured, or did not complete follow-up. The
study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board and
received proper ethical oversight. Informed consent was obtained from
every subject because of the prospective nature of the study. No
interventions were mandated by the study protocol based on the
information obtained. Baseline characteristics and procedural data were
collected at the time of the procedure via the electronic medical record
and procedural reports. Patients were followed for a 30-day period. At
the end of follow-up, each patient received a prespecified phone survey
to assess for any clinical outcomes (see supplemental figure 1).