Feasibility of deep sedation for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation using pulsed field ablation.

Introduction: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal energy source for catheter ablation associated with shorter procedure time, less risk of esophageal injury, and less dependence on absolute catheter stability compared with radiofrequency ablation. Limited data are available on performing the procedure with deep sedation (DS) as an alternative to general anesthesia (GA) utilizing endotracheal intubation.

Methods: Patients who underwent PFA using DS between March and August 2024 were retrospectively included. DS was administered by anesthesia staff, consisting of propofol, dexmedetomidine, fentanyl, and midazolam, at the discretion of the practitioner. The primary endpoint was the rate of airway complications or requirement for conversion to GA. Secondary endpoints were the rate of acute procedural success, total time in the EP lab, procedure time, and non-procedure time.

Results: A total of 100 patients (mean age 71.9 ± 11.6 years, BMI 30.1 ± 7.1, 51% females) were included in the analysis. There were no instances of airway complications or conversion from DS to GA. There was a 100% rate of acute isolation of pulmonary veins. The average total time in the lab was 149.7 ± 44.7 min, consisting of a mean procedure time of 98.3 ± 40.5 min and a non-procedure time of 51.4 ± 12.2 min.

Conclusions: In this study conducted at a single health system, DS for PFA was feasible and associated with no instances of airway complications nor conversion to GA. The findings may not apply to patients with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea or other pulmonary diseases.