Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation with a novel,duty-cycled ablation system

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia experienced in clinical practice (approx. 1% predominance in the adult population). Unfortunately, long-term efficacy of antiarrhythmic drug therapy is disappointing and could cause serious side effects. Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation has emerged as an important therapeutic option for drug refractory patients. However, the development in ablation strategies remains complex with often lengthy procedures. This study investigates whether a novel multielectrode catheter, delivering duty-cycled bipolar/unipolar RF energy, is feasible and safe. Therefore, 81 consecutive patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF has been analyzed. Pulmonary vein isolation with the pulmonary vein ablation catheter was safe with short fluoroscopy/procedural time and good clinical efficacy at 6 months (stable sinus rhythm in 78% of patients).