title: Minimally invasive off-pump pulmonary vein isolation to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally invasive off-pump pulmonary vein isolation to cure paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) may be an alternative to percutaneous catheter-based procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients with highly symptomatic lone PAF refractory to medical treatment and having undergone unsuccessful catheter-based ablation underwent pulmonary vein isolation using the Cardioblate BP device with a minimally invasive approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no complications and all patients were discharged in sinus rhythm. Mean ablation time per lesion was 15.2 sec and mean operation time was 118 min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Irrigated bipolar radiofrequency ablation of the pulmonary veins is safe and can be performed off-pump in a minimally invasive manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany. Calin.Vicol@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicol
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eifert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kur
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reichart
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011667:Pulmonary Veins