1. Catheter-Based Cryoablation Permanently Cures Patients With Common Atrial Flutter
- Author
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Carl Timmermans, Harry J.G.M. Crijns, Suzanne Philippens, Randy Manusama, Luz-Maria Rodriguez, and Froylan Limon
- Subjects
Adult ,Heart Defects, Congenital ,Male ,Cardiac Catheterization ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Catheter ablation ,Cryosurgery ,Electrocardiography ,Physiology (medical) ,Atrial Fibrillation ,Humans ,Medicine ,General Nursing ,Aged ,Cardiac catheterization ,Heart Failure ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Atrial fibrillation ,Cryoablation ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Catheter ,Treatment Outcome ,Atrial Flutter ,Hypertension ,Female ,Tricuspid Valve ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Atrial flutter - Abstract
Background— Cryoablation (cryo) has a high success rate in the short-term treatment of atrial flutter (AFL), but evidence of long-term efficacy is lacking. The present study reports the long-term effect of cryo of the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) in patients with common AFL. Methods and Results— Thirty-five consecutive patients (28 men; mean age, 53 years) underwent cryo of the CTI. In 34 patients, the AFL had a counterclockwise rotation (cycle length, 242±43 ms). Eleven patients had structural heart disease. Cryo was performed with a 10F catheter with a 6-mm-tip electrode (CryoCor). Applications (3 to 5 minutes each) were delivered by use of a point-by-point technique to create the ablation line. The acute end point of the procedure was creation of bidirectional isthmus conduction block and noninducibility of AFL. A median of 14 applications (range, 4 to 30) at 10 sites (range, 4 to 19) was given along the CTI with a mean temperature of −80.0±5.0°C. Mean fluoroscopy and procedure times were 40±26 minutes and 3.2±1.3 hours, respectively. Of the 35 patients, 34 were acutely successfully ablated (97%). After a mean follow-up of 17.6±6.2 months (range, 9.6 to 26.1 months), 31 patients (89%) did not have recurrence of AFL. Three of the 4 patients with recurrence had a second successful procedure. One patient had transient ST elevation in the inferior leads during cryoapplication. Conclusions— Cryo produces permanent bidirectional isthmus conduction block of the CTI. Short- and long-term success rates are comparable to those for radiofrequency ablation.
- Published
- 2004