Freezing Equals Freezing? Performance of Two Cryoablation Devices in Concomitant Mitral Valve Repair.

 Recent guidelines have recommended the addition of ablation in cardiac surgery for patients presenting with atrial fibrillation (AF). Currently available cryoablation devices use either nitrous oxide or argon gas as cooling agent. Our study aimed to compare success rates of two different devices currently available on the market and applied during concomitant cardiac surgery.

Approaching a paradigm shift: endoscopic ablation of lone atrial fibrillation on the beating heart.

Background: Percutaneous catheter ablation has been the preferred treatment strategy for many patients with symptomatic drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). However, incomplete ablation lines and varying success rates remain a problem in certain subgroups. This article evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of endoscopically performed left atrial ablation in patients with lone AF.