New Results in Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone of rhythm-control therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF). A few years ago, contact force-sensing ablation catheters (CFSAC) were introduced. Nowadays the use of CFSAC became a part of the everyday practice. The durability of PVI depends much on the accurate lesion creation. The recently developed techniques (ablation index, CLOSE protocol) may facilitate the procedure in terms of achieving durable PVI which has already been confirmed by randomized trials. In this chapter, we would like to introduce the theoretical background of PVI and compare different techniques (radiofrequency point-by-point, cryoballoon, additional ablation lines for persistent AF) with special highlight on the importance of durable PVI.