title: Impact of nonfluoroscopic MediGuide™ tracking system on radiation exposure in radiofrequency ablation procedures (LESS-RADS registry)-an initial experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiation exposure in the electrophysiology (EP) lab is a major concern to most electrophysiologists. A new technology, MediGuide™ nonfluoroscopic catheter tracking system, has been used for the first time in the USA recently. We intended to evaluate the efficacy of this novel catheter tracking system in reducing radiation exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective observational study by comparing the radiation exposure with MediGuide™ system to that of conventional mapping systems. The first 45 EP procedures performed with the MediGuide™ system were compared to 45 matched patients undergoing similar procedures during the same time frame using conventional mapping systems (CARTO and NavX) and fluoroscopy. We collected and compared baseline characteristics, procedural variables including fluoroscopic exposure between both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five patients underwent EP procedures using the MediGuide™ technology. They were matched with an equal number of patients with conventional mapping systems. Of the 45 patients included in the study, 33 underwent right atrial flutter ablations, 5 underwent atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia ablations, 4 underwent ablation of Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, and 3 underwent EP studies with no ablation. There were no differences in mean age, gender distribution, and body mass index between the groups. Procedure duration in the MediGuide™ group was significantly lower than the duration in the conventional group (103 vs. 142 min, p = 0.03). The fluoroscopic time was significantly less during the procedures performed with the MediGuide™ technology when compared to the control group (8 vs. 21 min, p < 0.001). No major complications occurred during the procedures in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MediGuide™, a new nonfluoroscopic catheter tracking system, is associated with more than a 50 % reduction in fluoroscopic time when compared to conventional mapping systems.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Mid America Cardiology, University of Kansas Hospital & Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallakati
authors.forename: Yeruva Madhu
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emert
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janga
authors.forename: Moussa C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: E Kevin
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Heist
authors.forename: Rhea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pimentel
authors.forename: Raghuveer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dendi
authors.forename: Donita
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Sudharani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bommana
authors.forename: Srijoy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahapatra
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heard
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruskin
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berenbom
authors.forename: Buddhadeb
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dawn
authors.forename: Dhanunjaya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lakkireddy
mesh_terms: D000398:Air Pollution, Radioactive / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018780:Body Surface Potential Mapping / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
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