Clinical and anatomic predictors of need for repeat atrial fibrillation ablation.

Aim: To identify predictors of need for repeat procedures after initial atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation.

Methods: We identified a cohort undergoing first time AF ablation at our institution from January 2004 to February 2014 who had cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging performed prior to ablation. Clinical variables and anatomic characteristics (determined from CMR) were assessed as predictors of need for repeat ablation.

Pulmonary Vein Remodeling Following Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Implications For The Radiographic Diagnosis Of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis.

Pulmonary vein (PV) reverse remodeling has been recognized following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, the extent of physiologic reverse remodeling after AF ablation and the potential impact of reverse remodeling on the radiographic diagnosis of PV stenosis have not been well characterized. From January 2004 to February 2014, 186 patients underwent paired cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to delineate PV orifice dimensions before and after (mean 109 ± 61 days) an initial AF ablation.

Pulmonary vein anatomy assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients undergoing initial atrial fibrillation ablation: implications for novel ablation technologies.

Background: Novel atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation tools have been designed to facilitate "single-shot" pulmonary vein (PV) isolation using multi-electrode or balloon-based catheters. However, in contrast to point-by-point radiofrequency ablation, these tools may be more dependent on suitable PV anatomy to achieve circumferential PV isolation.

Methods: Three hundred and twenty-two patients underwent gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance angiography to delineate PV anatomy prior to initial AF ablation.

Dynamic seeding of perfusing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) onto dual-function cell adhesion ligands: Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-streptavidin and biotinylated fibronectin.

Surfaces decorated with high affinity ligands can be used to facilitate rapid attachment of endothelial cells; however, standard equilibrium cell detachment studies are poorly suited for assessing these initial adhesion events. Here, a dynamic seeding and cell retention method was used to examine the initial attachment of perfusing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to bare Teflon-AF substrates, substrates pre-adsorbed with fibronectin alone, or substrates co-pre-adsorbed with two dual-function cell-adhesion ligands: biotinylated fibronectin (bFN) and RGD-streptavidin mutant (RGD-SA). Cell attachment was evaluated as a function of cell trypsinization (integrin digestion), surface protein formulation, and cell perfusion rate.