A clinical study of patients with and without recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation.

Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) can be treated by pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. However, the recurrence rate after this procedure is relatively high. We sought to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of patients with PAF recurrence after PV isolation and to analyze factors related to recurrences.

[Curative treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with radiofrequency ablation].

Background: Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased morbidity and twice the mortality compared to individuals without fibrillation. Treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs has limited effect in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Material And Method: The group of patients comprised 59 men and 13 women with an average age of 51 +/- 10, the majority of whom had failed several drug regimens; some had undergone repeated DC conversions.

Global right atrial mapping delineates double posterior lines of block in patients with typical atrial flutter: a study using a three dimensional noncontact mapping system.

Unlabelled: Double Posterior Lines of Block in Typical Atrial Flutter.

Introduction: The crista terminalis (CT) has been shown to be a barrier to transverse conduction during typical atrial flutter (AFL). However, some studies have demonstrated the presence of functional block in the sinus venosa region but not at the CT.

Three-dimensional noncontact mapping defines two zones of slow conduction in the circuit of typical atrial flutter.

The cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) is a slow conduction area in the circuit of typical atrial flutter. However, conventional methods are limited by the inaccuracy of measurements of distance on the surface of the heart. The aim of the study was to define the conduction properties of the atrial flutter circuit along the tricuspid annulus by using a three-dimensional noncontact mapping system.

Identification of extremely slow conduction in the cavotricuspid isthmus during common atrial flutter ablation.

Introduction: Complete isthmus block has been used as an endpoint for radiofrequency ablation for common atrial flutter (AF). We sought to systematically evaluate extremely slow conduction (ESC), which is easily misinterpreted as complete block.

Methods And Results: We studied 107 consecutive patients (92 men, 15 women, 58 +/- 11 years) who had undergone a successful AF ablation procedure.