Sudden death after ablation and pacing in atrial fibrillation

We studied the incidence and predictors of sudden death in 334 consecutive patients with medically refractory atrial fibrillation after ablation of the atrioventricular node and pacemaker implantation. Sudden death was likely related to the procedure in four patients and possibly related in three. These seven patients made up 2.1 % of the total cohort; six had structural heart disease. Independent predictors for sudden death in this patient population were diabetes, New York Heart Association functional class of II or above, ventricular arrhythmia, valvular heart-disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.