September 18, 2008
View Full PaperFocal Atrial Tachycardia Originating from the Right Atrial Appendage: First Successful Cryoballoon Isolation
Structured PICO
Does cryoballoon isolation successfully treat incessant focal right atrial appendage tachycardia refractory to conventional ablation?
P
Population
1 patient with incessant focal right atrial appendage (RAA) atrial tachycardia despite previous irrigated tip endo- and epicardial ablation attempts
I
Intervention
Right atrial appendage isolation using a cryoballoon catheter
O
Outcome
Successful right atrial appendage isolation
Cryoballoon ablation may be a feasible and successful alternative for isolating the right atrial appendage in patients with focal atrial tachycardia refractory to conventional radiofrequency ablation.
Abstract
Focal atrial tachycardias (AT) can arise from the right atrial appendage (RAA). However, conventional catheter mapping and radiofrequency (RF) ablation inside the RAA is associated with the risk of cardiac perforation. The cryoballoon catheter represents a novel ablation device that was originally developed to facilitate pulmonary vein isolation. This report describes the first successful RAA isolation using a cryoballoon in a patient with an incessant focal RAA AT despite previous irrigated tip endo- and epicardial ablation attempts. Further, cryoballoon ablation targets beyond pulmonary veins may evolve.