Absence of significant changes in heart rate variability after slow pathway ablation of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia by using serial Holter recordings, ,

Background Persistent inappropriate sinus tachycardia may evolve as a complication after radiofrequency (RF) fast pathway ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). Parasympathetic denervation may serve as one of the possible mechanisms. We performed a study to show the prevalence of this phenomenon in RF ablation of the slow pathway. Methods and Results Thirty-three patients (25 women, 8 men) aged 53 ± 16 years were investigated. A median of 3 pulses was used to selectively modify or ablate the slow pathway and render AVNRT noninducible. Heart rate (HR) and different indexes in the time and frequency domain of heart rate variability were evaluated in serial 24-hour Holter recordings. Data were obtained 1 day, 1 month, and 3 months after the procedure and compared with preablation values. Despite a trend of increasing HR and decreasing heart rate variability within the first month after RF ablation, no significant changes were detected. Conclusions RF ablation of the slow pathway in AVNRT does not change parameters of HR and heart rate variability significantly by means of serial 24-hour Holter recordings. (Am Heart J 1998;136:259-63.)