Ablation of residual potentials along the circumferential line reduces acute pulmonary vein reconnection.

Introduction: Acute pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection is frequently encountered in patients undergoing PV isolation (PVI) procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. In this study, we investigated whether the identification and ablation of residual potentials (RPs), after the initial achievement of PVI, reduces acute PV reconnection rate.

Methods: Following PVI in 160 patients, mapping along the ablation line was performed to identify RPs, defined as bipolar amplitude ≥0.

The contribution of intracardiac echocardiography in catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias.

Catheter ablation is a well-established treatment option for patients with ventricular arrhythmias. Recent advances in various imaging modalities, including three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping systems, magnetic resonance imaging, transesophageal and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) have been adopted in catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias improving procedural outcome and safety. ICE is an imaging tool which provides real-time visualization of anatomical structures of the heart, facilitating catheter manipulation and navigation during ablation procedures.