The catheter maze procedure for the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation requires the creation of transmural, continuous linear atrial lesions. Attempts to drag a conventional radiofrequency ablation catheter across the atria in clinical as well as experimental studies have resulted in discontinuous lesions. Continuous linear lesions have been most difficult to create in trabeculated atrial...

BACKGROUND Catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation yields an unsatisfactorily high number of failures. The hybrid approach has recently emerged as a technique that overcomes the limitations of both surgical and catheter procedures alone. METHODS AND RESULTS We investigated the sequential (staged) hybrid method, which consists of a surgical thoracoscopic radiofrequency ablation pro...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate electrode temperatures obtained using a radiofrequency ablation system that incorporates closed loop feedback control to achieve preset target electrode temperatures and to determine if closed loop temperature control results in a lower incidence of developing a coagulum. METHODS AND RESULTS Two hundred seventy patients underwent catheter a...

BACKGROUND Catheter ablation with the use of radiofrequency current has been introduced as a therapeutic option for patients with tachyarrhythmias mediated by an accessory atrioventricular pathway. The technique conventionally implies the introduction of several catheters into the heart for assessment of electrophysiological parameters as well as for localization of the accessory pathway and ma...

BACKGROUND Catheter ablation of accessory atrioventricular (AV) connections using radiofrequency current has been demonstrated to be effective in the majority of patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia involving a concealed accessory AV connection. However, electrogram criteria have not been established to guide attempts at radiofrequency cath...

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia, with an increasing prevalence at higher age. Besides symptoms that affect quality of life, there is a significant risk of thromboembolic complications, heart failure and death. Different therapeutic options are proposed. Results of pharmacological treatment are often disappointing. Adverse side effects of antiarrhythmic medication are considera...

BACKGROUND Chronic lung disease (CLD) is one of the important underlying diseases of atrial fibrillation (AF). The outcomes after radiofrequency catheter ablation of AF in patients with CLD have not yet been reported. We investigated the electroanatomic alterations in pulmonary veins (PVs) in CLD patients with AF and assessed their effect on the outcomes of radiofrequency catheter ablation of A...

BACKGROUND Animal studies have suggested that the temperature of the electrode-tissue interface during radiofrequency catheter ablation accurately predicts lesion size. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the utility of continuous temperature monitoring during radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty patients wit...

BACKGROUND The junction between the coronary sinus (CS) musculature and both atria contributes to initiation of atrial tachyarrhythmias. The current study investigated the effects of CS isolation from the atria by radiofrequency catheter ablation on the induction and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS Using an optical mapping system, we mapped action potentials at 25...

Background. Two catheter electrode systems were compared for delivering radiofrequency current for ablation of the atrioventricular junction. Seventeen patients with drug-resistant supraventricular tachyarrhythmias were studied. Methods and Results. A 6F or 7F catheter with six or eight standard electrodes (1.25 mm wide, 2.5-mm spacing) was used in the first seven patients (group 1). A 7F quadr...