Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Cardiac Arrhythmias in Lithuania: The Incidence and Trends

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is minimally invasive treatment based on a thermal tissue destruction. Having reviewed the application of RFA method in a global context, we can state that it is widely used modern procedure in many economically developed countries. In many cases, RFA is qualified as effective, safe and economically profitable. There is a wide spectrum of clinical applications of RFA that cover diverse fields of medicine. RFA application in cardiology has become markedly significant. In 1976, RFA was introduced into clinical practice as an innovative management of cardiac arrhythmias. The developement of nonsurgical minimally invasive cardiac arrhythmias treatment by radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) procedure is greatly associated with evolution of cardiac surgery in general and the establishment of cardiac centers. Era of Lithuanian cardiac surgery had begun in 1960‘s, when the first cardiac center in Lithuania was established. Currently, three cardiac centers are functioning in Lithuania. Arrhytmias treatment by RFCA was introduced into Lithuanian clinical practice in the mentioned cardiac centers where it is performed only there up to now. Regarding the incidence of performed RFCAs for the arrhythmias (total of 3942 RFCAs over the fiveyear period between 2007 and 2011), this treatment method can be defined as a routine procedure in the cardiac centers of Lithuania. There was showed an upward trend in the number of performed RFCA procedures for arrhythmias over the last quinquennium in Lithuania, as the performance has grown by 3.75% for five consecutive years from 2007 and 2011, suggesting that this treatment method may become more and more popular in the future clinical practice.