Examining the Routine Use of Bladder Catheters During Atrial Fibrillation Procedures

(AF) is the commonest arrhythmia worldwide and accounts for significant morbidity. The mainstay of treatment for drug refractory AF is catheter ablation. A preponderance of evidence indicates better outcomes when this procedure is performed under general anesthesia; this is standard of care at our institution. However, for a variety of reasons including long procedure time, procedural intravenous fluid administration, and prolonged bedrest following the procedure, standard of care at our institution and others is for bladder catheter placement during the procedure (4). Unfortunately, bladder catheters used during cardiac surgery have been associated with adverse outcomes, including catheter associated cystitis, hematuria, dysuria, and urethral damage(

Fortunately, the landscape of AF ablation is changing rapidly, and procedure times are rapidly decreasing. Improvements in three dimensional mapping technology has allowed for less reliance on fluoroscopy and allows for real time visualization of ablation lesions. Improvements in ablation catheters have allowed for significantly reduced intravenous fluid administration during the procedure. The Site has also adopted an expedited protocol for venous hemostasis following the procedure that involves a figure-of-eight groin stitch, allowing for earlier mobility and a shorter bed rest following the procedure. Therefore, we question the need for routine bladder catheter placement during AF ablation procedures