Why the study?
Does remote-controlled catheter ablation using robotic or magnetic navigation systems provide clinical effectiveness compared to conventional ablation techniques?
Does remote-controlled catheter ablation using robotic or magnetic navigation systems provide clinical effectiveness compared to conventional ablation techniques?
Robotic and magnetic navigation systems offer a feasible remote-controlled approach to catheter ablation, potentially reducing radiation exposure for electrophysiologists, though further comparative studies are needed.
May offer operator radiation reduction; leaves open comparative effectiveness versus conventional ablation pending randomized trials.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this review is to introduce two novel techniques for catheter ablation of various arrhythmias in a remote-controlled fashion. RECENT FINDINGS: The electromechanical system Sensei consists of two steerable sheaths that navigate conventional catheters via a 'master-slave' input device. The magnetic navigation system Niobe consists of two outer permanent magnets that cause a uniform magnetic field in which a specialized magnetically equipped catheter has to align in parallel. Both systems can interact with three-dimensional mapping systems and several reports on the clinical effectiveness of the systems have been published, which will be critically discussed in this review. SUMMARY: These two novel technologies offer the fascinating option of performing catheter ablation in a remote-controlled fashion. Future studies and head-to-head comparisons with conventional ablation techniques will prove the impact of remote navigation, which hopefully will remove invasive electrophysiologists away from patients without the risks of reduced efficacy or increased procedural risks.
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Sabine Ernst (2008) studied this question.
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