Publications by authors named "Kenji Kuroki"
A Novel Wave-speed Mapping Method for Visualizing Accessory Pathways in Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol
December 2024
Introduction: Catheter ablation (CA) is the first-line treatment with a high success rate for patients with symptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, while three-dimensional (3D) mapping systems enable the identification of accessory pathways (APs). We aimed to develop a novel mapping method using wave-speed mapping (WSM) to determine AP locations and CA outcomes.
Methods And Results: This study included 19 patients diagnosed with atrioventricular (AV) reciprocating tachycardia.
Article Synopsis
- Early diagnosis of cardiomyopathy through endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) during cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation can lead to timely treatment and potentially resolve complications.
- This study explored a new technique for EMB using a 3D delivery sheath, analyzing the sheath's performance and its effectiveness in obtaining biopsy samples.
- Results showed that the 3D delivery sheaths were safe and effective, with 20% of patients diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, highlighting the importance of this technique in early detection.
Article Synopsis
- The PREMIER technique is a new approach designed to improve the retrieval of fibrin-rich clots during mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.
- In a study, the PREMIER technique was compared to the standard EmboTrap III method in a vessel model, specifically assessing its effectiveness on both fibrin-rich and erythrocyte-rich clots.
- Results showed that the PREMIER technique was significantly more successful in achieving recanalization for fibrin-rich clots (100% success rate) compared to EmboTrap III (50%), while both techniques performed similarly for erythrocyte-rich clots.
Background: TactiFlex is a next-generation catheter that is being used increasingly in ablation-treatment strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in ablation lesions when the ablation power, time, and perfusion flow are varied with TactiFlex and TactiCath catheters.
Methods: The TactiFlex and TactiCath catheters were contacted perpendicularly/obliquely/parallel to the swine myocardium at varying powers (30, 40, and 50 W), time points (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40 s), and forces (5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 g); the depth, width, and area of each lesion were measured, and the number of steam pops that occurred was counted.
Although guidelines recommend early aspirin administration after diagnosis of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the decision of pretransfer aspirin administration is at the discretion of the primary physicians. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether pretransfer aspirin administration was associated with better angiographical outcomes in patients with STEMI. This study compared the angiographic findings of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade in the infarct-related artery before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between patients who received pretransfer aspirin and those who did not.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBipolar radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is a novel strategy for refractory or recurrent ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) resistant to conventional ablation methods. Lesions created during bipolar RFCA are larger than those created during sequential unipolar ablation. We present a case of refractory LV summit VAs, which identified the origin using a 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeft bundle branch area pacing for chronic heart failure with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.
Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging
February 2024
Preclinical evaluation of semi-automated laser ablation for pulmonary vein isolation: A comparative study.
J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol
February 2023
Introduction: Visually-guided laser balloon ablation (VGLA) currently requires careful manual rotation of the laser to create overlapping lesions. A novel semi-automated VGLA may reduce ablation times and lesion gaps. We aimed to compare semi-automated (SA) VGLA to that of manual (MN) VGLA.
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- - **Study Background**: This research assessed the effectiveness of a new natriuretic peptide index (NPI), which combines levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), in predicting heart-related risks in patients with coronary artery disease who underwent a specific heart procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
- - **Methods and Findings**: The study included 849 patients, tracking their health outcomes for up to 3 years. It focused on key events like death or heart attacks. Results showed that the NPI had a higher predictive accuracy for negative health outcomes compared to ANP and BNP alone.
- - **Conclusions**: The NPI was
Background: Mechanical and electrical restoration by cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with adaptive pacing algorithm (aCRT) in heart failure patients with a moderately wide (120-149 ms) QRS has not been fully evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of aCRT compared with conventional biventricular CRT (BiV-CRT) regardless of QRS morphology.
Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients with a QRS ≥120 ms, regardless of morphology, underwent CRT device implantation with an aCRT pacing algorithm.
Background: Recent advancements in a 3-dimensional mapping system allow for the assessment of detailed conduction properties during sinus rhythm and thus the establishment of a strategy targeting functionally abnormal regions in scar-related ventricular tachycardia (VT). We hypothesized that a rotational activation pattern (RAP) observed in maps during baseline rhythm was associated with the critical location of VT.
Methods: We retrospectively examined the pattern of wavefront propagation during sinus rhythm in patients with scar-related VT.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of pulsed field ablation (PFA) using a pentaspline catheter and traditional thermal ablation for achieving electrical isolation of pulmonary veins in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
- In clinical trials, both PFA and thermal ablation showed similar success in isolating pulmonary veins over a follow-up period, although patients in the PFA group were generally younger with shorter follow-ups.
- Ultimately, the findings suggest that PFA provides comparable chronic isolation areas to those achieved by thermal ablation technologies, indicating it may be a viable alternative for this procedure.
Background: The tissue specificity of pulsed field ablation (PFA) makes it an attractive energy source for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI). However, beyond each PFA lesion's zone of irreversible electroporation and cell death, there may be a surrounding zone of reversible electroporation and cell injury that could potentially normalize with time.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the level of electrical PVI that is observed acutely after PFA regresses over time.