Why the study?
Does a surgical technique using unipolar radiofrequency ablation with tissue lifting prevent esophageal and circumflex artery injuries in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Does a surgical technique using unipolar radiofrequency ablation with tissue lifting prevent esophageal and circumflex artery injuries in patients with atrial fibrillation?
A modified surgical technique for unipolar radiofrequency ablation involving tissue lifting may prevent collateral damage to the esophagus and circumflex artery.
May support tissue lifting to avoid injury in unipolar RF ablation; hypothesis-generating and requires confirmation in larger studies.
A surgical technique using unipolar radiofrequency ablation is described, which minimizes the risk of damaging adjacent cardiac structures. The left atrium was fully mobilized. Linear, non-thrombogenic, white blistering lesions were created with a hand-held malleable pen-catheter, making oscillating movements, while preserving a stable endocardium contact, without pressing the atrial wall to adjacent mediastinal structures. The ablated atrial tissue was lifted up with forceps. Each pulmonary vein orifice was circumferentially ablated and interconnected on the ipsi- and to the contra-lateral side, and to the left auricle and mitral valve annulus. No esophageal or circumflex artery injuries were observed.
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Krishna Khargi (2004) studied this question.
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