[Spanish registry on catheter ablation. 1st official report of the working group on electrophysiology and arrhythmias of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (year 2001)].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The information about the practice and results of catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias in Europe is limited and there is a lack of multicenter studies and registries. The Spanish Society of Cardiology developed a national registry to define the results of this procedure and the characteristics of the laboratories where it is performed.

METHODS

A list of electrophysiology laboratories in Spain was prepared and questionnaires were sent to each of them. The questionnaires were completed with retrospective data about the characteristics of each center, their general activities, and ablation procedures performed during 2001. Data were collected on the results and complications in relation to the arrhythmic substrate or mechanism treated.

RESULTS

Forty-three centers, out of a possible 48, voluntarily participated in the registry. A total of 4,374 ablation procedures were performed in 41 centers. The average number of procedures per center was 106 84 and the rates of success, major complications, and mortality were, respectively, 93%, 1.5%, and 0.1%. About 70% of the procedures were performed to treat patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardias and accessory pathways or to abolish AV conduction.

CONCLUSIONS

The 2001 Spanish National Catheter Ablation Registry is one of the largest reported series of ablation procedures. The results of the registry demonstrate a high success rate and low complication and mortality rates in the practice of catheter ablation in Western Europe.