Inserting a Bladder catheter during catheter ablation is standard practice at most Institutions. Unfortunately, bladder catheters are associated with adverse outcomes, including catheter associated cystitis, hematuria, dysuria, and urethral damage. The investigator proposes a prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing group A that will receive a catheter during the ablation procedure and group B that will not receive the procedure. The Investigator hypothesizes the group receiving the bladder catheters will have a higher rate of complications.

Brief Title

Bladder Catheters During Ablation Procedures

Official Title

Examining the Routine Use of Bladder Catheters During Atrial Fibrillation Procedures

Brief Summary

Inserting a Bladder catheter during catheter ablation is standard practice at most <br /> Institutions. Unfortunately, bladder catheters are associated with adverse outcomes, <br /> including catheter associated cystitis, hematuria, dysuria, and urethral damage. <br /> <br /> The investigator proposes a prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing group A that <br /> will receive a catheter during the ablation procedure and group B that will not receive the <br /> procedure. The Investigator hypothesizes the group receiving the bladder catheters will have <br /> a higher rate of complications.

Detailed Description

(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

Outcome Measures

Outcome measures are the tests that investigators perform to prove whether or not a treatment being tested in a clinical trial is having any effect.