Reduced fluoroscopy during atrial fibrillation ablation: benefits of robotic guided navigation.
BACKGROUND
Recently, a nonmagnetic robotic navigation system (RN, Hansen-Sensei) has been introduced for remote catheter manipulation.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of RN combined with intuitive 3-dimensional mapping on the fluoroscopy exposure to operator and patient during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in a prospective randomized trial.


METHODS
Sixty patients were randomly assigned to undergo PVI either using a RN guided (group 1; n = 30, 20 male, 62 +/- 7.7 years) or conventional ablation approach (group 2; n = 30, 14 male, 61 +/- 7.6 years). A 3-dimensional mapping system (NavX) was used in both groups.


RESULTS
Electrical disconnection of the ipsilateral pulmonary veins (PVs) was achieved in all patients. Use of RN significantly lowered the overall fluoroscopy time (9 +/- 3.4 vs 22 +/- 6.5 minutes; P < 0.001) and reduced the operator's fluoroscopy exposure (7 +/- 2.1 vs 22 +/- 6.5 minutes; P < 0.001). The difference in fluoroscopy duration between both groups was most pronounced during the ablation part of the procedure (3 +/- 2.4 vs 17 +/- 6.3 minutes; P < 0.001). The overall procedure duration tended to be prolonged using RN without reaching statistical significance (156 +/- 44.4 vs 134 +/- 12 minutes, P = 0.099). No difference regarding outcome was found during a midterm follow-up of 6 months (AF freedom group 1 = 73% vs 77% in group 2 [P = 0.345]).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of RN for PVI seems to be effective and significantly reduces overall fluoroscopy time and operator's fluoroscopy exposure without affecting mid-term outcome after 6-month follow-up.
Department of Electrophysiology, Heart Center University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. dsteven@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Daniel
D
Steven
Helge
H
Servatius
Thomas
T
Rostock
Boris
B
Hoffmann
Imke
I
Drewitz
Kai
K
Müllerleile
Arian
A
Sultan
Muhammet Ali
MA
Aydin
Thomas
T
Meinertz
Stephan
S
Willems
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D018780:Body Surface Potential Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011859:Radiography; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome