Left-sided cardiac ablations comprise a large portion of all catheter ablation procedures performed worldwide, with atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation amounting to the largest share of the procedural volume. The effectiveness of catheter ablation varies depending on the targeted arrhythmia itself, the cardiac substrate, the patient's comorbidities and the operator's experience. Achieving sustain...

Atrial flutter ablation is associated with a high rate of acute procedural success and symptom improvement. The relationship between ablation and other clinical outcomes has been limited to small studies primarily conducted at academic centers. We sought to determine if catheter ablation of atrial flutter is associated with reductions in healthcare utilization, atrial fibrillation, or stroke in...

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is now a commonly performed procedure throughout the world. Despite the widespread adoption of this procedure, it is well recognized that important limitations exist. These limitations include (i) less that optimal efficacy, especially when long-term success is considered; (ii) long procedure times and the requirement for considerable skill to perfo...

BACKGROUND Ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is sometimes unsuccessful when ablation lesions are of insufficient depth to reach arrhythmogenic substrate. We report the initial experience with the use of a catheter with an extendable/retractable irrigated needle at the tip capable of intramyocardial mapping and ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS Sequential consenting patients with recurrent ...

AIMS This prospective, multicentre study (PRECISION GOLD) evaluated the incidence of asymptomatic cerebral embolism (ACE) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using a new gold multi-electrode radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter, pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC) GOLD. Also, procedural efficiency of PVAC GOLD was compared with ERACE. The ERACE study demonstrated that a low incidence of A...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an increasingly prevalent condition in the ageing population, with significantly associated morbidity and mortality. Surgical and catheter ablative strategies both aim to reduce mortality and morbidity through freedom from AF. This review consolidates all currently available comparative data to evaluate these two interventions. METHODS A systematic searc...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a multifactorial disease with complex pathophysiology. Although restoring sinus rhythm delays the progression of atrial remodeling, non-pharmacologic intervention, such as radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA), should be done based on the background pathophysiology of the disease. While circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) has been known to be the corner...

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 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke and is associated with increased risk of death. Randomized studies suggest improved quality of life for patients with AF after successful catheter ablation compared to antiarrhythmic drug therapy. The value of ablation in long-term risk of ischemic stroke, however, has not been assessed. We conducted a meta-an...

BACKGROUND PV electrical isolation has become the cornerstone of catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Several strategies have been proposed to achieve this goal. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of AF ablation using a new circular irrigated multielectrode ablation catheter designed to achieve single-delivery pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. ...