Methods:
All elective procedures in New York City were cancelled following an executive order on March 16, 2020, and on June 8, 2020 all New York City Hospitals were authorized to resume elective procedures. In the period between March 16, 2020 and June 8, 2020, as safety protocols were enacted and healthcare resources became more available, medically necessary, non-emergent procedures were performed after detailed discussion of risks and benefits with patients. Patients were prioritized based on severity of AF related symptoms, cardiomyopathy risk, and frequency of AF related healthcare utilization.
Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were evaluated in two cohorts of consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation of AF or prior AF-ablation related atrial arrhythmia at New York University (NYU) Langone Health. The 2020 cohort included 111 patients that underwent catheter ablation between April 15, 2020 and June 15, 2020 with COVID-19 related policies and procedures in-effect, and the 2019 cohort included 200 consecutive patients that underwent catheter ablation between April 15, 2019 and June 15, 2019. All electrophysiology lab staff underwent COVID-19 nasal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and were monitored for new COVID-19 infection symptoms throughout the study period. In-hospital time was defined as time from presentation to the electrophysiology lab pre-operative area to the time of discharge from the hospital.