Key result
Active esophageal cooling reduces esophageal injury and improves arrhythmia freedom versus standard monitoring during RF ablation.
Why the study?
Inadvertent thermal injury to the esophagus leading to potentially fatal atrioesophageal fistula can occur during RF ablation of the left atrium for AF.
Does active esophageal cooling reduce esophageal injury in patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation?
Does active esophageal cooling reduce esophageal injury in patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation?
Active esophageal cooling during RF ablation for AF improves patient safety by reducing esophageal injury and enhances procedural efficiency.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support active esophageal cooling in AF ablation; leaves open need for randomized confirmation before practice change.
INTRODUCTION: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the left atrium of the heart is increasingly used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). Unfortunately, inadvertent thermal injury to the esophagus can occur during this procedure, potentially creating an atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) which is 80% fatal. The ensoETM (Attune Medical, Chicago, IL), is an esophageal cooling device that has been shown to reduce thermal injury to the esophagus during RF ablation. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes growing evidence related to active esophageal cooling during RF ablation for the treatment of AF. The review presents data demonstrating improved outcomes related to patient safety and procedural efficiency and suggests directions for future research. EXPERT OPINION: The use of active esophageal cooling during RF ablation reduces esophageal injury, reduces or eliminates fluoroscopy requirements, reduces procedure duration and post-operative pain, and increases long-term freedom from arrhythmia. These effects in turn increase patient same-day discharge rates, decrease operator cognitive load, and reduce cost. These findings are likely to further accelerate the adoption of active esophageal cooling.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Cooper et al. (2022) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Active esophageal cooling (ensoETM) vs. Luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring was evaluated. Active esophageal cooling during radiofrequency ablation reduces esophageal injury, decreases procedure duration and post-operative pain, and increases long-term freedom from arrhythmia compared to traditional monitoring.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: