Cryoballoon ablation: a novel technique for treating focal atrial tachycardias from the pulmonary veins.
OBJECTIVE
Cryothermic ablation using a cryoballoon is a novel technique which has been used to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. In this study, we wanted to test this technique to treat focal atrial tachycardias (ATs) from the pulmonary veins (PV).


RESULTS
Five patients (four women, one man, mean age 43 +/- 16 years) with severe symptoms due to focal AT originating from a PV were studied. A single transseptal puncture was done. After confirmation of the diagnosis by conventional mapping, a 23 or 28 mm cryoballoon catheter was positioned in the PV of interest. Freezing was done for 300 s and repeated at least once before attempts to induce arrhythmia. All patients were successfully treated. Total procedure and fluoroscopy time was 138 +/- 55 and 26 +/- 21 min, respectively. During a follow-up of 10 +/- 7 months no clinical recurrences occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Cryoablation using a cryoballoon might be an easy and safe tool to treat ATs originating from the PV with reasonable procedure time.
Jensen-Urstad
Mats
M
Department of Cardiology Karolinska, University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. mats.jensen-urstad@ki.se
Bastani
Hamid
H
Braunschweig
Frieder
F
Drca
Nikola
N
Insulander
Per
P
Kennebäck
Göran
G
Schwieler
Jonas
J
Tabrizi
Fariborz
F
D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome