title: Mechanical esophageal deflection during ablation of atrial fibrillation.
abstract: To prevent esophageal damage during ablation of atrial fibrillation, we developed a technique to move the esophagus away from a desired ablation site too close to the esophagus. Under fluoroscopy, a transesophageal echocardiography probe was used to deflect the barium-opacified esophagus from the ablation site. This technique was successfully employed in three patients where critical sites of the posterior left atrial wall were very close to the esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Arrhythmia Service and Division of Cardiology, Tampa General Hospital and University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33606, USA. bherweg@hsc.usf.edu
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herweg
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Postler
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: S Serge
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Barold
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ilercil
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*