The rise of vagal tone facilitated the activity of pulmonary veins and played an important role in the initiation of AF [1]. Autonomic nerve stimulation shortens AERP, decreases the wavelength of atrial reentrant circuits and increases dAERP, thus, promoting the stability of AF [2]. Several studies have demonstrated that additional ablation of epicardiol ganglionated plexi (GP) improved success...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ablation is an established therapy; however, limited data are available on associated complications. This systematic review determines the incidence and potential predictors of acute complications. METHODS AND RESULTS Electronic searches were conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE for English scientific literature up to the 18th June 2012. A total of 2065 references we...

BACKGROUND The effectiveness of restoring the sinus rhythm by catheter ablation relative to that of medical rate control for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with heart failure (HF) remains to be defined. METHODS We systematically searched Embase, Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for articles that compared the outcomes of interest between catheter ablation and ...

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial tachyarrhythmias in postoperative congenital heart disease (CHD) patients has a low success rate and a high recurrence rate. This study explores the reasons for these constraints. METHODS A total of 49 consecutive postoperative CHD patients who received RFCA for atrial tachyarrhythmias between 1993 and 2010 were enrolled. RESULTS...

AIMS Patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) often experience recurrent arrhythmias within the first few months post-ablation. We aimed to investigate whether short-term use of amiodarone to prevent early arrhythmias following radiofrequency ablation for AF could reduce later recurrence. METHODS AND RESULTS In a two-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controll...

PURPOSE We report on the first randomized trial to our knowledge comparing holmium laser ablation and photoselective vaporization of the prostate in patients with a small to moderate size prostate. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between March 2005 and April 2007, 109 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate size 60 cc or smaller were randomized ...

An excimer laser micromachining system is developed to study the process in fabricating high-aspect-ratio microstructures. Specifically, the study experimentally examines process efficiency and the impact of changing major laser operating parameters on the resulting microstructural shapes and morphology. The materials considered in the study include glass, silicon, and aluminum. The ablation or...

PURPOSE The aim was to assess atrial fibrillation (AF) and vulnerability in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome patients using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). METHODS All patients were examined via transthoracic echocardiography and 2D-STE in order to assess atrial function 7 days before and 10 days after RF catheter ablation. A postoperative 3-month follow-up was...

BACKGROUND Current guidelines recommend pulmonary-vein isolation by means of catheter ablation as treatment for drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Radiofrequency ablation is the most common method, and cryoballoon ablation is the second most frequently used technology. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to determine whether cryoballoon ablation was noninferior t...

Neuroanatomic studies describing forebrain projections to the lateral parabrachial nucleus suggest a central integrative role in cardiovascular regulation. We performed this study to examine the role of this pontine nucleus in the maintenance of one-kidney, figure-8 renal-wrap hypertension. Bilateral ibotenic acid ablation of the lateral parabrachial nucleus was performed 4 weeks after inductio...