Publications by authors named "K Filipovic"
Background: The cryoballoon (CB) has become a standard tool for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), but the technology is limited in certain ways. A novel RF-balloon (Heliostar™, Biosense Webster, CA, USA) promises the advantages of a balloon technology in combination with 3D mapping.
Methods: To assess procedural data and outcome, all patients undergoing RF-balloon PVI were included and compared with data from consecutive patients undergoing CB PVI for paroxysmal AF.
Aims: The optimal ablation strategy for recurrent persistent atrial fibrillation (persAF) after initially successful catheter ablation (CA) remains debatable. Dipole density (DD) guided CA using the AcQMap system has been proven to be feasible and effective in patients with persAF. So far, long-term outcome data for DD-guided CA in patients with recurrence of persAF are sparse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The newly introduced nonthermal pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a promising technology to achieve fast pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with high acute success rates and good safety features. However, previous studies have shown that very high power short duration ablation (VHPSD) is also highly effective and fast to achieve PVI with potentially less arrhythmia recurrence compared to conventional radiofrequency ablation. Data comparing PFA to VHPSD-PVI is lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF"All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison" (Paracelsus, ~ 1538 AD). This well-known quote seems to aptly summarize the current understanding of the interaction between exercise and atrial fibrillation (AF). A host of data strongly suggests that regular exercise has a protective effect against developing AF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- A new standard operating procedure (SOP) was developed to identify patients who could skip preprocedural transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) screening for left atrial thrombi before atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, aiming to reduce patient risks and discomfort.
- A study analyzed data from 1,874 patients treated between 2018 and 2022, comparing a group following the new SOP against a matched group that underwent TEE before every procedure.
- The implementation of the new SOP resulted in a 67% reduction in the number of TEEs performed, with no significant increase in risks of cerebrovascular events, indicating the approach is safe and effective.