BACKGROUND: A novel magnetic guidance system has been developed that allows the operator to remotely navigate an electrophysiology mapping/ablation catheter to precise locations in the heart for treatment of tachyarrhythmias. To date, this new technology has not been directly compared with the conventional approach. OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of the magnetic guidance system to the conventional approach for ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia. METHODS: Between November 2002 and October 2004, 28 patients with atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia treated with the magnetic guidance system were retrospectively compared with 28 matched control patients. RESULTS: Patients treated using the magnetic guidance system had similar procedure durations and fluoroscopy times compared with the matched controls. The only statistically significant difference between the groups was a longer time between insertion of the ablation catheter and placement of the first radiofrequency lesion in the magnetic guidance system cohort (23.3 +/- 12.0 vs. 10.5 +/- 13.9, p=0.001), possibly due to the research protocol. However, there was a trend toward a shorter total time that radiofrequency energy was applied in the magnetic guidance system cohort (5.2 +/- 4.5 vs. 8.0 +/- 7.2, p=0.087). There were no major complications or recurrences after at least 3 months of follow-up among the patients treated with the magnetic guidance system. CONCLUSION: The magnetic guidance system appears to have similar, and possibly improved, clinical efficacy compared with conventional catheter navigation for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.
BACKGROUND: A novel magnetic guidance system has been developed that allows the operator to remotely navigate an electrophysiology mapping/ablation catheter to precise locations in the heart for treatment of tachyarrhythmias. To date, this new technology has not been directly compared with the conventional approach. OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of the magnetic guidance system to the conventional approach for ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia. METHODS: Between November 2002 and October 2004, 28 patients with atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia treated with the magnetic guidance system were retrospectively compared with 28 matched control patients. RESULTS:Patients treated using the magnetic guidance system had similar procedure durations and fluoroscopy times compared with the matched controls. The only statistically significant difference between the groups was a longer time between insertion of the ablation catheter and placement of the first radiofrequency lesion in the magnetic guidance system cohort (23.3 +/- 12.0 vs. 10.5 +/- 13.9, p=0.001), possibly due to the research protocol. However, there was a trend toward a shorter total time that radiofrequency energy was applied in the magnetic guidance system cohort (5.2 +/- 4.5 vs. 8.0 +/- 7.2, p=0.087). There were no major complications or recurrences after at least 3 months of follow-up among the patients treated with the magnetic guidance system. CONCLUSION: The magnetic guidance system appears to have similar, and possibly improved, clinical efficacy compared with conventional catheter navigation for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.
Authors: Syed Muhammad Ali Tahir; G Muqtada Chaudhry; Muhammad Ali Syed; Thomas Marchese; Gregory Kotler; Charles I Haffajee; Michael V Orlov Journal: J Interv Card Electrophysiol Date: 2008-03-21 Impact factor: 1.900