Radiofrequency ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by mesh catheter

Introduction  Pulmonary veins isolation usually requires a multielectrode catheter for mapping in addition to the ablation catheter. We describe our experience with a new multipolar catheter designed for simultaneous mapping and ablation (MESH, Bard). Methods and results  We tested the catheter in 15 patients (mean age 61.1 ± 7.9; eight men) scheduled for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation. The catheter was positioned in front of the pulmonary vein ostia. A pulmonary vein potential was demonstrated in 63.5% of the veins, which were disconnected with a mean of 1.6 radiofrequency applications with a mean time of 351 ± 125.8 s (range 180–650) for each vein. Mean procedural time was 93 ± 17.1 min (range 65–120), and fluoroscopy time was 13.7 ± 4.0 (range 5–15) min. No complications occurred during and after or procedures. Conclusion  Pulmonary veins disconnection with MESH ablator catheter is feasible with short procedural and X-ray exposure time. Further studies are needed to compare this new device to standard multipolar mapping catheters in order to evaluate its ability to correctly identify pulmonary vein potentials and to compare its safety and efficacy.