Complications: Early and late after ablation

This chapter discusses the complications of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and possible strategies to reduce their incidence and limiting harm to patients. Complications of AF ablation may range from local to life-threatening conditions. Complications of AF ablation can be classified as early, when they occur during the procedure itself and late if they occur within 30 days thereafter. According to the worldwide AF ablation survey, cardiac tamponade was found to be the most common fatal complication leading to cardiac arrest during or after AF ablation. Late complications of AF catheter ablation should be considered as any adverse event, which usually happens after the procedure, occurring within a temporal frame of 30 days or is clearly related to the procedure. Patient's safety is paramount and is the most important rule electrophysiologists (especially if young or inexperienced) need to respect in the context of AF ablation.