Use of intracardiac echocardiography for prediction of chronic @entity849 after ablation of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity849 @entity850 @entity955
INTRODUCTION: Measurements of pulmonary vein (PV) flow with intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) immediately before and after PV isolation may be a useful method for predicting which @entity1 will develop @entity849 . METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed preablation and postablation flows in each of the four PVs using a phase-array ICE catheter in 95 @entity1 (mean age 52 +/- 13) undergoing @entity955 ablation. The ostium of each of the PVs was defined using angiography, electrical mapping, and ICE imaging. Ostial electrical isolation of all PVs was achieved using a 4-mm cooled-tip radiofrequency ablation catheter. Change in PV flow, when present, was examined as both an absolute value and as a percentage of the baseline flow. All @entity1 underwent spiral computed tomography (CT) scans of the PVs 3 months after the procedure for detection of @entity850 . The average preablation diastolic flows for the left superior, left inferior, right superior, and right inferior veins were 0.56, 0.54, 0.47, and 0.45 m/sec, respectively. These values increased to 0.74, 0.67, 0.58, and 0.59 m/sec postablation (P < 0.001). Of 380 PVs ablated, the CT scans revealed 2 (1%) with severe (>70%) @entity850 , 13 (3%) with moderate (51%-70%) @entity850 , and 62 (16%) with mild (< or = 50%) @entity850 . The r value between flow and @entity850 was only 0.09 (P = NS). CONCLUSION: Acute changes in PV flow immediately after ostial PV isolation do not appear to be a strong predictor of @entity849 .
