Management for atrial arrhythmias in adults with complex congenital heart disease

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) is steadily increasing among adults. Atrial arrhythmias are frequent late complications and are associated with substantial morbidity.

Areas covered: We discuss key considerations regarding management strategies for atrial arrhythmias in common forms of CHD and offer future perspectives.

Expert opinion: An appreciation of the types of atrial arrhythmias encountered in patients with diverse forms of CHD, combined with the growing clinical and research experience, appears to be yielding favorable results, whereas little progress has been made on the antiarrhythmic drug front, indications for anticoagulation have considerably evolved. Advances in interventional techniques have propelled catheter ablation to the forefront to treat a variety of atrial arrhythmias in patients with complex CHD. Nevertheless, much work remains to be done to elucidate underlying pathophysiology, triggers, and critical substrates that predispose patients with specific CHD malformations to develop atrial arrhythmias. Future advances could allow for the implementation of individualized, possibly preemptive, approaches to arrhythmia management. With the prevalence of atrial fibrillation on the rise in the aging population with CHD, concerted efforts must be directed toward optimizing patient selection for catheter ablation as well as refining procedural aspects to safely and more effectively improve long-term outcomes.

Keywords: Adult congenital heart disease; anticoagulation; atrial arrhythmias; catheter ablation; heart defect.