Transcatheter creation of atrial septal perforation using a radiofrequency transseptal system: novel approach as an alternative to transseptal needle puncture.

Indications for the transseptal approach to the left side of the heart have recently broadened, as it provides a therapeutic access for both left-sided catheter ablation and also percutaneous transvenous valvular intervention. Despite rising demand for transseptal procedures, the technique and device used for this purpose have remained essentially unchanged over the past 4 decades. The possibilities of failure of puncturing distorted and thickened atrial septal tissue or risks of complications related to cardiac perforation remain limitations of the technique. A new radiofrequency catheter provides an alternative approach to create a controlled transseptal perforation. We applied this technique to a series of patients and evaluated its feasibility as an alternative to conventional transseptal needle puncture. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.