5-Year Outcome of Pulmonary Vein Isolation by Loss of Pace Capture on the Ablation Line Versus Electrical Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation.

Objectives: This study sought to compare long-term arrhythmia-free survival between electrical circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and PVI with the endpoint of unexcitability along the ablation line.

Background: PVI is the standard ablation strategy of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, although arrhythmia recurrence in long-term follow-up (FU) is high. The endpoint of unexcitability along the ablation line results in decreased arrhythmia recurrence compared to electrical PVI in 1-year FU.

Pulmonary Vein Isolation Versus Defragmentation: The CHASE-AF Clinical Trial.

Background: Long-term success rates using ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are disappointing and usually do not exceed 60%.

Objectives: This study sought to compare arrhythmia-free survival between pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and a stepwise approach (full defrag) consisting of PVI, ablation of complex fractionated electrograms, and additional linear ablation lines in the setting of atrial tachycardias (AT) in patients with persistent AF after PVI.

Methods: From November 2010 to February 2013, 205 patients (151 men; 61.

Ablation of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia.

Idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias occur in patients without structural heart disease. They can arise from a variety of specific areas within both ventricles and in the supravalvular regions of the great arteries. Two main groups need to be differentiated: arrhythmias from the outflow tract (OT) region and idiopathic left ventricular, so-called fascicular, tachycardias (ILVTs).

The impact of cardiac CT on the appropriate utilization of catheter coronary angiography.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) on the appropriate utilization of catheter angiography (CA). This observational trial analyzed all patients undergoing CA in 2006 and 2007 in one hospital. In 2007, patients having a low to intermediate cardiovascular risk and suspicion of coronary artery disease (CAD) and those with suspicion of progression of known organic heart disease (OHD) underwent CTCA either prior to CA or as the sole imaging modality.

Patient radiation dose during percutaneous interventional closure of interatrial communications.

Objective: To determine fluoroscopy time (FT) and radiation dose (RD) applied in percutaneous closure of interatrial septal communications (IAC).

Background: Percutaneous closure of IAC, namely patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD) is increasingly performed. In this often young population in full reproductive age, radiation dosage should be an important issue, yet consistent data on applied radiation dose have not been available to date.

Coronary artery revascularization using both ITAs as free conduits in patients with three-vessel disease--the lambda graft.

Background: There is little information on using internal thoracic arteries (ITA) as free conduits in coronary artery bypass grafting. This study examines the results using both ITAs as free grafts in a lambda configuration implanting the common trunk into the ascending aorta.

Methods: Over a 6-year period, 317 patients underwent coronary artery revascularization with both ITAs as free grafts in a lambda configuration.