title: Single-center experience of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation using multi-electrode mapping and ablation catheters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an established therapy for the treatment of paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Many techniques have been reported to achieve RFA. We report a single-center experience of RFA using three multi-electrode catheters.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data of the patients who had RFA for AF using custom-designed multi-electrode mapping and ablation catheters between May 2007 and November 2009 at this center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 105 patients aged 56 ± 9.6 years underwent RFA using three multi-electrode catheters. Eighty-seven patients were new and 18 patients had re-do AF ablation using the multi-electrode mapping and ablation catheters. In the new patients, the mean procedure duration was 141 ± 38 minutes and fluoroscopy time was 38 ± 4 minutes. The mean duration of follow-up was 15.8 ± 6.4 months. Symptomatic improvement was achieved in 75 patients (86%), 48 patients (55%) remained in sinus rhythm (SR) after the first procedure, while 7 (8%) had multiple procedures and remained in SR without antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD). Fourteen patients (16%) required AAD following a single procedure and 1 patient (1.1%) after multiple procedures to remain in SR. Seven patients (8%) had reduced burden of symptoms. No improvement occurred in 12 patients (13.7%). In the 18 re-do patients, 15 (83.3%) had symptom improvement. Four patients (22.2%) remained in SR after a single procedure and 4 patients (22.2%) required multiple procedures to remain in SR without AAD. One patient (5.5%) remained in SR on AAD following a single procedure and 1 patient (5.5%) remained in SR on AAD following multiple procedures. Five patients (27%) had reduced burden of symptoms and 3 patients (16.6%) had no improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVI using multi-electrode mapping and ablation catheters is an effective treatment of paroxysmal and persistent AF with a complication rate equivalent to published data.
authors.affiliation: Wessex Cardiothoracic Unit, Department Cardiology, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD. mehmoodzeb@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mehmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeb
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Paul Andrew
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D057785:Catheters / Q000145:classification*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004566:Electrodes; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents