Key result
Epi-Ease tool enables vacuum-assisted direct visualization for epicardial access during ventricular tachycardia ablation.
Why the study?
Epicardial access for ventricular tachycardia ablation via subxiphoid approach carries risks, and clinical experience with the Epi-Ease tool integrating direct visualization is limited.
Is the video-assisted thoracoscopic epicardial access tool (Epi-Ease) feasible and safe for ventricular tachycardia ablation?
Is the video-assisted thoracoscopic epicardial access tool (Epi-Ease) feasible and safe for ventricular tachycardia ablation?
The Epi-Ease tool aims to improve the safety of epicardial access for VT ablation by integrating direct visualization and vacuum-assisted retraction, though clinical experience remains limited.
Initial Epi-Ease experience suggests feasibility for epicardial access; leaves open safety benefits versus standard approaches in VT ablation.
Epicardial access (EA) via subxiphoid approach enables ablation of complex ventricular tachycardias (VT) but carries risks of cardiac/hepatic perforation and coronary injury. The Epi-Ease tool (AtriCure) integrates direct visualization during EA with a vacuum-assisted pericardial retraction mechanism; however clinical experience is limited.
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Vasquez et al. (2026) studied this question. The Epi-Ease tool integrates direct visualization with a vacuum-assisted pericardial retraction mechanism for epicardial access during ventricular tachycardia ablation.
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