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Fluoroscopy continues to be considered an indispensable part of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation worldwide. Deleterious effects of radiation exposure to patients, physicians, and catheter laboratory personnel are gaining increased consideration. Safety and efficacy of a fluoroless approach for AF ablation is comparable with outcomes achieved with fluoroscopy use. This article focuses on AF ablation with zero fluoroscopy use as well as current evidence on efficacy and safety of this technique. In contrast, minimal fluoroscopy is an alternative. Relying on intracardiac echocardiography for transseptal access and electroanatomic mapping for catheter manipulation can help implement this approach on a wider scale.

The optimal ablation strategy for non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation remains controversial. Non-PV triggers have been shown to have a major arrhythmogenic role in these patients. Common sources of non-PV triggers are: posterior wall, left atrial appendage, superior vena cava, coronary sinus, vein of Marshall, interatrial septum, crista terminalis/Eustachian ridge, and mitral and tricuspid valve annuli. These sites are targeted empirically in selected cases or if significant ectopy is noted (with or without a drug challenge), to improve outcomes in patients with non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This article focuses on summarizing the current evidence and the approach to mapping and ablation of these frequent non-PV trigger sites.

Ventricular arrhythmias are a frequent cause of mortality in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Scar-related reentry represents the most common arrhythmia substrate in patients with recurrent episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT). Initial mapping of scar-related VT circuits is focused on identifying arrhythmogenic tissue. The substrate-based strategies include targeting late potentials, scar dechanneling, local abnormal ventricular activities, core isolation, and homogenization of the scar. Even though substrate-based strategies for VT ablation have shown promising outcomes for patients with structural heart disease related to ischemic cardiomyopathy, the data are scarce for patients with nonischemic substrates.