Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is highly prevalent and accounts for significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Catheter ablation has become a therapeutic option in the management of this challenging arrhythmia. To optimize procedure safety and long-term efficacy, innovative technologies and ablation strategies have been targeting either the...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Pacemaker and defibrillator therapy is on the rise as a result of expanding indications. Unfortunately, this trend is associated with an increased number of cardiac device-related complications. Lead failure, device infection and vascular complication are not uncommon and may cause significant patient morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the consi...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Catheter ablation has become the treatment of choice to cure various arrhythmias in the last decades. The newest advancement of this general concept is made on the navigation ability using remote-controlled ablation catheters. This review summarizes the concept of the two currently available systems, followed by a critical review of the published c...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is forecast to rise to 2–5% of the general population by 2050. Of the two fundamental treatment strategies for AF management, rhythm control is the approach which is generally preferred for active, symptomatic, and/or younger patients, whereas rate control is all that is found necessary in the more elderly...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) trials were initially limited to survivors of sudden death. The focus of defibrillator trials in the last decade has been in prophylactic implantation of the device in high risk populations for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. It is the contention in this review that the new focus for implantable ...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Epidemiologic studies suggest that the number of patients with AF will triple in the next 30 years, and therefore, its impact on medical and economic issues will further increase. Due to the limited efficacy and significant side effects of antiarrhythmic drugs, much effort ha...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
A 51-year-old man with an obstructed inferior vena cava underwent successful slow pathway catheter ablation using a superior venous approach. Two central venous sheaths were introduced into the right internal jugular vein using different approaches (anterior and posterior), so the two sheaths located away from each other could prevent the catheters...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
BackgroundGuide catheters help deliver endocardial leads to specific locations within the heart, but their disengagement afterwards can be challenging. Slitting the catheter open over the lead may require the creation of an artificial platform to provide support for the blade and cause lead dislodgement through a sideways drag on the catheter by th...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
IntroductionWe reviewed our experience in managing intracardiac ultrasound-detected left atrial thrombus and analyzed the impact of the timing of heparin therapy on thrombus incidence.Methods and ResultsWe identified 508 patients undergoing ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation in which intracardiac ultrasound was used. All patients received ...
Published in Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology
Uncommon association of left anterior fascicular ventricular tachycardia (VT) with a healed myocardial infarction (MI) is described. A 55-year-old man with a history of anteroseptal MI had verapamil-sensitive VT. The VT exhibited a right bundle branch block configuration and right-axis deviation. The VT exit was located at the left ventricular ante...
