A subvalvular catheter approach for radiofrequency ablation of right-sided accessory pathways.

Background: Conventional catheter ablation of right-sided accessory pathways (RAPs) can be challenging.

Objective: To determine if a subvalvular catheter approach for RAPs targeting the ventricular insertion site, as on the left side, can improve catheter stability and tissue contact and thus increase acute and chronic ablation success rates.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively compared 22 patients (pts) with conventional catheter ablation of RAPs (group 1) with 9 consecutive pts (group 2) undergoing catheter ablation of a RAP using a subvalvular catheter approach targeting the ventricular site of AP.

Incidence of early pulmonary vein reconnections using different energy sources for pulmonary vein isolation: Multielectrode phased radiofrequency vs second-generation cryoballoon.

Objective: To determine and compare the incidence of early recurrence of conduction after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using two different ablation technologies: phased radiofrequency by a multipolar ablation catheter (PVAC) and cryo-ablation by a second-generation cryoballoon (CB).

Methods And Results: Two hundred patients (pts) with atrial fibrillation underwent PVI with PVAC (Group 1) or CB (Group 2), with 100 pts in each group. The incidence of PV reconnection (PVR) for each vein was examined in both groups at least 30 minutes after successful PVI.