The transesophageal echo probe may contribute to esophageal injury after catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation under general anesthesia: a preliminary observation.

INTRODUCTION: The transesophageal echo probe (TEE) is commonly used before and during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation under general anesthesia (GA). We sought to determine the potential contribution of the TEE probe to esophageal injury after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone for paroxysmal AF.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-six patients undergoing PVI with TEE, PVI/TEE, 16 undergoing PVI without TEE (PVI/No TEE), and 27 undergoing TEE without any left atrial ablation (TEE/No LA ablation) under GA were included. Posterior wall ablation was power (20-25 W) and time limited (electrogram attenuation or ≤30 s). Esophageal capsule endoscopy (n = 206) was performed pre- and post-procedure and at 2 weeks. Esophageal lesions were seen in 30% of PVI/TEE, 0% of patients in the PVI/No TEE (P = 0.009), and 22% of TEE/No LA ablation groups (P = 0.47 vs. PVI/TEE). There were no instances of esophageal bleeding, perforation, or need for gastrointestinal intervention. Self-resolving dysphagia was the only reported symptom (5%). All lesions healed within 2 weeks. There was no significant difference in the location or morphological appearance of esophageal lesions seen in the PVI/TEE versus TEE/No LA ablation groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal lesions were seen in 30% of patients undergoing PVI alone under GA with use of TEE and in a similar proportion (22%) of patients undergoing TEE in the absence of left atrial ablation. This study makes the preliminary observation that one must be cognizant of the TEE probe as a potential contributor to esophageal injury after AF ablation. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.