title: Minimally invasive epicardial ablation of lone atrial fibrillation in pediatric patient.
abstract: We describe a case of epicardial surgical ablation of drug refractory lone atrial fibrillation in a pediatric patient. Minimally invasive radiofrequency equipment was used off-pump through a right mini-thoracotomy. Electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins cuffs was obtained. The preoperative electrophysiological study identified a macro re-entrant circuit around the pulmonary veins orifices as the mechanism of arrhythmia triggering. At follow-up, the patient is in stable sinus rhythm and there is no evidence of pulmonary vein stenosis. The minimally invasive, off-pump ablation of lone atrial fibrillation is feasible and reliable, even in children who may pose incremental technical challenges. This technique may represent an additional tool for the current treatment algorithms to treat lone atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Anthea Hospital, GVM Hospitals of Care and Research, Bari, Italy. gnasso@libero.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nasso
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonifazi
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lopriore
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Speziale
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D013908:Thoracotomy; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents