BACKGROUND: Cryoballoon (CB) ablation is successful in eliminating atrial fibrillation (AF). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess procedural efficacy and safety of CB ablation performed by a newly trained operator. METHODS: Forty patients with documented paroxysmal AF (58 ± 11 years, 26 male) undergoing CB catheter ablation were prospectively enrolled. RESULTS: Electrical pulmonary vein (PV) isolation was achieved in all patients (156 PVs). The primary end point (PV isolation using CB only) was reached in 31 patients (92% PV isolation, 144/156 PVs). In the remaining 9 patients (12 PVs), additional single point cryofocal ablations were required to achieve isolation of all veins (LSPV, n = 5; LIPV, n = 3; LCPV, n = 2; RSPV, n = 1; RIPV, n = 1). There was no vascular access complication, pericardial effusion/tamponade, stroke/transient ischemic attack, phrenic nerve palsy, acute PV stenosis, or atrioesophageal fistula. The procedure duration decreased with experience by 30% from 155 min during the first 10 procedures to 108 min (final 10 treatments). Similar effects were observed with fluoroscopy time (-57%; from 28 min to 12 min), dose area product (-66%; from 22 Gy x cm2 to 8 Gy x cm2), CB time in the left atrium (-24%; from 99 min to 75 min), and cryoenergy delivery time (-19%; from 83 min to 67 min), when comparing cases #1-10 to cases #30-40. CONCLUSIONS: CB ablation of AF is effective and safe in the hands of a new operator. Procedure and fluoroscopy times decrease with user experience.
BACKGROUND: Cryoballoon (CB) ablation is successful in eliminating atrial fibrillation (AF). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess procedural efficacy and safety of CB ablation performed by a newly trained operator. METHODS: Forty patients with documented paroxysmal AF (58 ± 11 years, 26 male) undergoing CB catheter ablation were prospectively enrolled. RESULTS: Electrical pulmonary vein (PV) isolation was achieved in all patients (156 PVs). The primary end point (PV isolation using CB only) was reached in 31 patients (92% PV isolation, 144/156 PVs). In the remaining 9 patients (12 PVs), additional single point cryofocal ablations were required to achieve isolation of all veins (LSPV, n = 5; LIPV, n = 3; LCPV, n = 2; RSPV, n = 1; RIPV, n = 1). There was no vascular access complication, pericardial effusion/tamponade, stroke/transient ischemic attack, phrenic nerve palsy, acute PV stenosis, or atrioesophageal fistula. The procedure duration decreased with experience by 30% from 155 min during the first 10 procedures to 108 min (final 10 treatments). Similar effects were observed with fluoroscopy time (-57%; from 28 min to 12 min), dose area product (-66%; from 22 Gy x cm2 to 8 Gy x cm2), CB time in the left atrium (-24%; from 99 min to 75 min), and cryoenergy delivery time (-19%; from 83 min to 67 min), when comparing cases #1-10 to cases #30-40. CONCLUSIONS: CB ablation of AF is effective and safe in the hands of a new operator. Procedure and fluoroscopy times decrease with user experience.
Authors: Alexander Fürnkranz; Stefano Bordignon; Boris Schmidt; Laura Perrotta; Daniela Dugo; Manuel De Lazzari; Britta Schulte-Hahn; Bernd Nowak; Julian K R Chun Journal: Europace Date: 2015-01-06 Impact factor: 5.214
Authors: Andreas Metzner; Andre Burchard; Peter Wohlmuth; Peter Rausch; Alexander Bardyszewski; Christina Gienapp; Roland Richard Tilz; Andreas Rillig; Shibu Mathew; Sebastian Deiss; Hisaki Makimoto; Feifan Ouyang; Karl-Heinz Kuck; Erik Wissner Journal: Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol Date: 2013-06-07
Authors: Alexander Fürnkranz; Stefano Bordignon; Boris Schmidt; Melanie Gunawardene; Britta Schulte-Hahn; Verena Urban; Frank Bode; Bernd Nowak; Julian K R Chun Journal: J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol Date: 2013-02-11
Authors: Douglas L Packer; Robert C Kowal; Kevin R Wheelan; James M Irwin; Jean Champagne; Peter G Guerra; Marc Dubuc; Vivek Reddy; Linda Nelson; Richard G Holcomb; John W Lehmann; Jeremy N Ruskin Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2013-03-21 Impact factor: 24.094
Authors: Thomas Neumann; Jürgen Vogt; Burghard Schumacher; Anja Dorszewski; Malte Kuniss; Hans Neuser; Klaus Kurzidim; Alexander Berkowitsch; Marcus Koller; Johannes Heintze; Ursula Scholz; Ulrike Wetzel; Michael A E Schneider; Dieter Horstkotte; Christian W Hamm; Heinz-Friedrich Pitschner Journal: J Am Coll Cardiol Date: 2008-07-22 Impact factor: 24.094