Ganglionated plexus ablation of the left atrium for refractory vasovagal syncope: Analysis of the Safety, Effectiveness and Related Factors

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of ganglionated plexus ablation of the left atrium for patients with refractory vasovagal syncope. METHODS: From May 2019 to December 2023, 39 patients with refractory vasovagal syncope (VVS) underwent ganglionated plexus (GP) ablation at our institution. Associations between post-ablation VVS recurrence and factors including average heart rate on Holter monitoring, preoperative head-up tilt table test (HUTT), for GP identification methods, and sex were analyzed. RESULTS: During the follow-up period 18.7 months, 30 of the 39 patients (76.9 % vs 23.1 %, p = 0.001) were symptom-free after GP ablation. The remaining 9 patients exhibited significant symptomatic improvement, with a marked reduction in the number of syncopal episodes (2.11 ± 1.27 vs 7.13 ± 3.57, p = 0.00). The mean heart rate after procedure (87.10 ± 11.22 bpm) was significantly higher than pre-procedures (70.33 ± 7.56 bpm, p = 0.00), indicating effective VVS control. Preoperative HUTT classifications and GP localization methods showed no significant association with recurrence, although female sex was associated with a higher likelihood of recurrent VVS. No procedure-related complication occurred. CONCLUSION: GP ablation of the left atrium is a safe and effective treatment for patients with refractory vasovagal syncope.