The mortality in-hospital for patients undergoing elective catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is low

1. The in-hospital mortality rate among patients undergoing elective catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation was low at approximately 0.029%. 

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Catheter ablation is a widely employed procedure for symptom management in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, it is unknown whether safety has been preserved when expanding this procedure into widespread clinical practice. This cohort study therefore sought to investigate the periprocedural mortality among patients undergoing elective catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. 412,947 patients (median[IQR] age, 68[60-74] years; 69.9% male) from Japan who underwent elective atrial fibrillation between April 2012 and March 2023 were included in this study. In-hospital mortality occurred in 119 of these patients, corresponding to a rate of 0.029% (95% CI, 0.024-0.034%). Some factors associated with in-hospital mortality included older age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07), lower body mass index (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-1.00) and an institutional volume of less than or equal to 50 procedures per year (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.45-4.38). Overall, this study found that the in-hospital mortality rate for patients undergoing elective catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is relatively low and provides a modern benchmark for Japanese patients undergoing this procedure.

Click here to read this study in JAMA Network Open

Image: PD

©2026 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.