RT Journal Article SR Electronic A1 Moravec, Ondrej A1 Skala, Tomas A1 Klementova, Olga A1 Skalova, Jitka A1 Hutyra, Martin A1 Precek, Jan A1 Fedorco, Marian A1 Cernicek, Vlastimil A1 Tudos, Zbynek A1 Zapletalova, Jana A1 Taborsky, Milos T1 General anesthesia or conscious sedation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation catheter ablation JF Biomedical papers YR 2021 VO 165 IS 2 SP 162 OP 168 DO 10.5507/bp.2020.012 UL https://biomed.papers.upol.cz/artkey/bio-202102-0008.php AB Background. Catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) can be performed under general anesthesia or conscious sedation. The influence of type of anesthesiology care on procedural characteristics and ablation outcome in patients in whom intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and elimination of adenosine-mediated dormant conduction (DC) is used is not entirely known. Methods. 150 patients with paroxysmal AF were randomized to point-by-point radiofrequency catheter isolation of pulmonary veins (PVI) under general anesthesia (n=77) or conscious sedation (n=73). Adenosine-mediated dormant conduction was eliminated in all patients. Antiarrhythmic medication was discontinued after PVI. During twelve months of follow-up, all patients underwent four times 7-day ECG monitorings. Results. There was no difference between groups in AF recurrence (28.6% vs. 31.5%, P=0.695). Patients in conscious sedation had longer procedure times (160 ± 32.1 vs. 132 ± 31.5 min, P<0.001), longer RF energy application times (40 ± 15 vs. 29 ± 11 min, P<0.001) and longer fluoroscopy times (6.2 min ± 5.3 vs. 4.3 min ± 2.2, P<0.001) with similar complication rates. Conclusion. Conscious sedation is not inferior to general anesthesia in regard to arrhythmia recurrence or complication rates of catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. However, it is associated with longer procedure times, longer time of radiofrequency energy application and longer fluoroscopy times.