title: An innovative balloon-type surgical device for atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The maze procedure and its modifications are the surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation. In an attempt to achieve a less invasive operation, we developed a balloon-type device for electric pulmonary vein isolation and evaluated its effectiveness macroscopically and microscopically.
  
  
  METHODS
  We created a left heart system model from 20 pigs. Based on a mold, a balloon was made with silicone resin. When this balloon was inflated, all pulmonary vein orifices were pressed and ablated by probes using radiofrequency and cryotherm as energy sources. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete circular ablation by radiofrequency was confirmed in 2 of 3 veins. The transmural denaturation was pathologically confirmed in all areas ablated at 80 degrees for 2 minutes. The complete circular ablation line and the transmural denaturation were macroscopically and microscopically confirmed after cryoablation at -100 degrees for 2 minutes using liquid nitrogen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study proved that the balloon is effective in simplifying pulmonary vein isolation and has potential to become an instrument that contributes to less invasive operations in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Kanazawa University Graduate, School of Medicine, Ishikawa, Japan. yasaumi@nyc.odn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Yoshihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asaumi
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagamine
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011667:Pulmonary Veins; D013552:Swine