Predictive Value of Thromboembolic Risk Scores Before an Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedure

Risk Scores for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Introduction: It is not clear whether transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) should be performed prior to a planned atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in all patients. Methods and Results: The objectives of this study were to determine in 681 consecutive patients: (i) the relationship between the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2‐VASc scores, the presence of a thrombogenic milieu and left atrial (LA) volume; (ii) the need for TEE in patients with low and intermediate thromboembolic risk assessed; and (iii) the predictive accuracy of the these 2 scores for the presence of thrombi in the LA/LAA (LA appendage) before a planned AF ablation. The prevalence of thrombi was 1%. All patients with thrombi had LA dilatation, a CHADS2 score ≥1 and a CHA2DS2‐VASc score ≥2. CHADS2 or CHA2DS2‐VASc scores