One-year follow-up after irrigated multi-electrode radiofrequency ablation of persistent XXXX .

@entity1 @entity358 @entity955
AIMS: Irrigated multi-electrode ablation (IMEA) is a novel tool to perform @entity358 ( @entity358 ). The aim was to compare IMEA with point-by-point radiofrequency (RF) ablation in @entity1 with persistent @entity955 ( @entity955 ) undergoing @entity358 . METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-nine @entity1 (age 60    9 years, 82% male) were studied. In 24 @entity1 , the IMEA catheter was used in conjunction with an electroanatomic mapping system. Twenty-five @entity1 undergoing RF point-by-point ablation (RF- @entity358 ) served as a control group. Validation of @entity358 based on the IMEA catheter was performed using a standard circular mapping catheter. Ninety-two of 94 pulmonary veins (PVs) (98%) were isolated using IMEA alone. Procedure time was 125    23 min in the IMEA group and 127    31 min in the RF- @entity358 group (P = 0.79). Fluoroscopy time was 12.2 (11-16.1) min with IMEA compared with 5.2 (4.1-9.3) min in the RF- @entity358 group (P < 0.001). Net ablation time was 11.8 (10.2-15.4) min in the IMEA group compared with 33.6 (30.3-40.1) min in the RF- @entity358 group (P < 0.001). Of 94 PVs presumed to be isolated after IMEA ablation, validation using a standard circular mapping catheter showed persistent PV potentials in 33 PVs (35%), requiring additional IMEA ablation. At 12 months, 16 of 24 @entity1 (67%) in the IMEA group compared with 17 of 25 @entity1 (68%) in RF- @entity358 group were free from @entity955 (P > 0.99). CONCLUSION: With similar total procedure duration, IMEA- @entity358 was associated with shorter net ablation time and longer fluoroscopy time. Irrigated multi-electrode ablation recordings were not sufficient to confirm isolation in 35% of PVs. Single-procedure efficacy after 12 months was similar between the two groups.
