Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been reported to improve symptoms and reduce mortality in atrial fibrillation (AF) with systolic heart failure (SCI). Over 90% of the rhythm of the battery is required in order to biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy to be effective. Atrial fibrillation reduces the effect of CRT and even rate-limiting drugs can not suppress atrioventricular (AV) node enoughly. There is no consensus yet if AV node ablation should be done immediately after CRT. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness and safety of ablation of the AV node in patients with atrial fibrillation immediately after the CRT procedure was applied.

38 cases with AF who were applied CRT were included in this study. The average age of patients was 67.2 ± 3.1. Twenty of the patients were men and 18 were women. Immediately after the CRT placement, seven sheaths were placed into the femoral artery in order to make AV node ablation. Transaortic retrograde AV node ablation was performed in all cases. In two cases, the femoral artery was tortuous, so AV node ablation executed via the right femoral vein. After the procedure biventricular pacemaker rhythm was observed in all cases. None of the patients developed complications.

As a result, AV node ablation applied immediately after the the CRT procedure in patients with of atrial fibrillation is a reliable method.