Highlights
- •Lecturing promotes fluoroscopic exposure reduction during catheter ablation
- •Procedure time decreased after face-to-face lecture delivery
- •Face-to-face lectures can reduce radiation exposure without extra complications
Abstract
Background
Radiation exposure remains a major concern for electrophysiologists and patients.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of altering awareness of radiation exposure
during atrial fibrillation ablation using interactive face-to-face (FTF) lectures
compared to passive lectures.
Methods
Patients who underwent their first catheter ablation with radiofrequency energy for
atrial fibrillation between January 2014 and December 2020 were included in this study.
All operators attended an e-learning lecture on radiation exposure before catheter
ablation. The addition of FTF lectures to this lecture was introduced in 2018. The
effect on radiation exposure was compared between the pre-FTF and FTF periods by comparing
fluoroscopy time and radiation dose.
Results
A total of 896 patients [mean age, 66 ± 11 years; 603 men (67 %)] were included in
this study. For pre-FTF (n = 345), only pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was performed in 112 patients and PVI
with additional ablation in 233 patients. For FTF lectures (n = 551), PVI-only was performed in 302 patients and PVI with additional ablation in
249 patients. Fluoroscopy time, cumulative air kerma, and cumulative air kerma per
time significantly reduced after FTF introduction in both PVI-only group [pre-FTF
and FTF; 37 ± 15 min and 16 ± 10 min (p < 0.0001), 477 ± 582 mGy and 108 ± 156 mGy (p < 0.0001), 11 ± 12 mGy/min, and 5 ± 6 mGy/min (p < 0.0001), respectively] and PVI with additional ablation group [pre-FTF and FTF;
48 ± 17 min and 15 ± 13 min (p < 0.0001), 613 ± 483 mGy and 68 ± 96 mGy (p < 0.0001), 12 ± 10 mGy/min, and 4 ± 4 mGy/min (p < 0.0001), respectively]. There were no significant differences in intraoperative
complications between the two periods.
Conclusions
FTF lectures can reduce radiation exposure.
Graphical abstract
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 04, 2023
Accepted:
February 7,
2023
Received in revised form:
January 24,
2023
Received:
October 20,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2023 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
