title: The comparison of epicardial focused ultrasound circumferential pulmonary vein ablation and BOX ablation--results from experimental acute atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of focused ultrasound circumferential pulmonary vein ablation (CPVa) and BOX ablation (BOXa) in an acute atrial fibrillation (AF) model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty mongrel dogs were divided into either CPVa or BOXa groups. CPV or BOX focused ultrasonic ablation was conducted in each group after successful establishment of the AF model. Before-and-after ablation left atrial effective refractory period (LAERP), AF inducibility, and induced AF lasting time were measured in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LAERP after AF model establishment was significantly shorter than that before establishment (102 ± 10 vs. 140 ± 10 ms, p < 0.01, in the CPVa group; 105 ± 8 vs. 139 ± 11 ms, p < 0.01, in the BOXa group). The AF inducibility after ablation was significantly lower than that before ablation in the two groups (98% vs. 28%, p < 0.01, in the CPVa group; 97% vs.14%, p < 0.01, in the BOXa group), and the induced AF lasting time after ablation was significantly shorter than that before ablation in both groups (233 ± 40 vs. 70 ± 29 s, p < 0.01, in the CPVa group; 240 ± 41 vs. 34 ± 22 s, p < 0.01, in the BOXa group). On intergroup comparison, AF inducibility and induced AF lasting time after ablation were significantly lower/shorter in the BOXa group than those in the CPVa group (14% vs. 28%, p = 0.021; 34 ± 22 vs. 70 ± 29 s, p = 0.048, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the experimental AF model, the epicardial focused ultrasound BOX ablation may be more effective to prevent the recurrence of AF compared with the CPV approach.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China. excellentchenshaojie@126.com
authors.forename: Shaojie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhiyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Yuehui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Chengzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zrenner
authors.forename: Mitchell W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Krucoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D004285:Dogs; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000601:surgery*; D057086:High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome