Understanding the anatomic relationship between the esophagus and left atrium is crucial to minimize complications during atrial fibrillation ablation.
Requires caution with posterior LA ablation due to anatomic variability; leaves open optimal esophageal protection strategies.
The nonuniform thickness of the posterior left atrial wall and the variable fibrofatty layer between the wall and the esophagus are risk factors that must be considered during ablation procedure. Esophageal arteries and vagus nerve plexus on the anterior surface of the esophagus may be affected by ablative procedures.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Sánchez‐Quintana et al. (2005) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: