Characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of periprocedural cerebrovascular accidents during electrophysiologic procedures

Serge C. Harb, George Thomas, Walid I. Saliba, Georges N. Nakhoul, Ayman A. Hussein, Valeria E. Duarte, Mandeep Bhargava, Bryan Baranowski, Patrick Tchou, Thomas Dresing, Thomas Callahan, Mohamed Kanj, Andrea Natale, Bruce D. Lindsay, Oussama M. Wazni

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to identify the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of periprocedural cerebrovascular accident (PCVA) during electrophysiologic (EP) procedures. Background: Periprocedural cerebrovascular accident is one of the most feared complications during EP procedures with very few data regarding its characteristics, management, and outcomes. Methods: Between January 1998 and December 2008, we reviewed 30,032 invasive EP procedures for PCVA occurrence and characteristics. Management and outcomes were also determined. Results: Thirty-eight CVAs were identified. Twenty (53 %) were intraprocedural and 18 (47 %) postprocedural. Thirty-two (84 %) were classified as strokes and six (16 %) as transient ischemic attacks. All CVAs except one (37, 97 %) were ischemic and the vast majority occurred during ablation procedures (36, 95 %). Among the 31 patients with ischemic stroke, 11 (35 %) were treated with reperfusion (eight catheter-based therapy and three intravenous t-PA) of whom five (46 %) had complete recovery, three (27 %) had partial recovery, and three (27 %) had no recovery. No hemorrhagic transformations occurred. Conclusion: Periprocedural cerebrovascular accident during EP procedures is rare and is almost always ischemic. It occurs more frequently during ablation procedures. Reperfusion therapy is feasible and safe.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)41-46
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Volume37
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2013

Keywords

  • Cerebrovascular accidents
  • Electrophysiologic procedures
  • Periprocedural

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Physiology (medical)

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