Postoperative amnesia in a patient undergoing general anesthesia for electro-physiologic (EP) catheter ablation of an irritable atrial focus

This case report describes the anesthetic management of a 67-year-old who underwent a catheter based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) of long-standing, persistent atrial fibrillation. When the patient awoke from the 6.5 hour procedure, he was found to have a transient retrograde and anterograde amnesia that persisted for 18-24 hours postoperatively. This is a unique instance of global amnesia following a cardiac ablation procedure under prolonged general anesthesia. This case study highlights important topics in postoperative cognitive deficits including the differential diagnosis, risk factors, and strategies for optimizing patient outcomes in high risk procedures.