title: Slow pathway elimination for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia with the 8-mm tip cryoablation catheter: an 18-month follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The 9-French 8-mm tip cryoablation catheter confers a high rate of acute slow pathway (SP) elimination and an acceptable short-term outcome in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcome of patients treated with this electrode in this indication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two patients (female = 52) with a mean age of 54.9 ± 17.7 years underwent SP elimination for typical AVNRT with the 8-mm tip cryocatheter in our institution between November 2009 to June 2012. Clinical and procedural characteristics were prospectively collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute procedural success defined as AVNRT non-inducibility at the end of the procedure was obtained in 81/82 patients (98.7 %). Mean procedure duration and fluoroscopy time were 74.4 ± 28.7 min (range, 35-160 min) and 8.7 ± 5.3 min (range, 2-26 min), respectively. Mean number of energy applications was 4.0 ± 2.4 (range, 2-15). No permanent atrioventricular block was observed. Transient atrioventricular block occurred in 12 patients (14.6 %). Traumatic fast pathway conduction block occurred in one patient before cryoenergy delivery. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, 78 patients (95.1 %) remained free of AVNRT recurrence during a mean follow-up of 17.8 ± 9.3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that the 8-mm tip cryocatheter is both safe and highly effective for SP conduction elimination in patients with AVNRT and demonstrated a low recurrence rate during a long-term follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France. michael.peyrol@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peyrol
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sbragia
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uhry
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boccara
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dolla
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quatre
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guenoun
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lévy
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paganelli
mesh_terms: D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome