BACKGROUND: A key mechanism responsible for atrial fibrillation is multiwavelet re-entry (MWR). We have previously demonstrated improved efficiency of ablation when lesions were placed in regions of high circuit-density. In this study, we undertook a quantitative assessment of the relative effect of ablation on the probability of MWR termination and the inducibility of MWR, as a function of lesion length and circuit-density overlap. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used a computational model to simulate MWR in tissues with (and without) localized regions of decreased action potential duration and increased intercellular resistance. We measured baseline circuit-density and distribution. We then assessed the effect of various ablation lesion sets on the inducibility and duration of MWR as a function of ablation lesion length and overlap with circuit-density. Higher circuit-density reproducibly localized to regions of shorter wavelength. Ablation lines with high circuit-density overlap showed maximum decreases in duration of MWR at lengths equal to the distance from the tissue boundary to the far side of the high circuit-density region (high-overlap, -43.5% [confidence interval, -22.0% to -65.1%] versus low-overlap, -4.4% [confidence interval, 7.3% to -16.0%]). Further ablation (beyond the length required to cross the high circuit-density region) provided minimal further reductions in duration and increased inducibility. CONCLUSIONS: Ablation at sites of high circuit-density most efficiently decreased re-entrant duration while minimally increasing inducibility. Ablation lines delivered at sites of low circuit-density minimally decreased duration yet increased inducibility of MWR.
BACKGROUND: A key mechanism responsible for atrial fibrillation is multiwavelet re-entry (MWR). We have previously demonstrated improved efficiency of ablation when lesions were placed in regions of high circuit-density. In this study, we undertook a quantitative assessment of the relative effect of ablation on the probability of MWR termination and the inducibility of MWR, as a function of lesion length and circuit-density overlap. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used a computational model to simulate MWR in tissues with (and without) localized regions of decreased action potential duration and increased intercellular resistance. We measured baseline circuit-density and distribution. We then assessed the effect of various ablation lesion sets on the inducibility and duration of MWR as a function of ablation lesion length and overlap with circuit-density. Higher circuit-density reproducibly localized to regions of shorter wavelength. Ablation lines with high circuit-density overlap showed maximum decreases in duration of MWR at lengths equal to the distance from the tissue boundary to the far side of the high circuit-density region (high-overlap, -43.5% [confidence interval, -22.0% to -65.1%] versus low-overlap, -4.4% [confidence interval, 7.3% to -16.0%]). Further ablation (beyond the length required to cross the high circuit-density region) provided minimal further reductions in duration and increased inducibility. CONCLUSIONS: Ablation at sites of high circuit-density most efficiently decreased re-entrant duration while minimally increasing inducibility. Ablation lines delivered at sites of low circuit-density minimally decreased duration yet increased inducibility of MWR.
Authors: Tina Baykaner; Rishi Trikha; Junaid A B Zaman; David E Krummen; Paul J Wang; Sanjiv M Narayan Journal: J Electrocardiol Date: 2017-01-15 Impact factor: 1.438
Authors: Richard T Carrick; Oliver R J Bates; Bryce E Benson; Nicole Habel; Jason H T Bates; Peter S Spector Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-03-13 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Adam Hartley; Joseph Shalhoub; Fu Siong Ng; Andrew D Krahn; Zachary Laksman; Jason G Andrade; Marc W Deyell; Prapa Kanagaratnam; Markus B Sikkel Journal: Europace Date: 2021-11-08 Impact factor: 5.214