title: Balloon-based pulmonary vein isolation for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (cryoballoon and laserballoon).
abstract: Electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins still remains one of the major objectives during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. In patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, balloon-based technologies hold great promise to simplify the approach to successful pulmonary vein isolation. While the cryoballoon represents the only true 'single-shot' technology, the laserballoon allows real-time endoscopic visualization of the pulmonary vein antrum during energy delivery. Either technology aims at complete electrical isolation, requiring continuous transmural lesion sets encircling the pulmonary veins. Strategies to confirm and to improve upon the efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation are the key to acute and long-term clinical success and will be reviewed in this article.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Lohmuehlenstrasse 5, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wissner
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Lohmuehlenstrasse 5, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Lohmuehlenstrasse 5, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kuck
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D011667:Pulmonary Veins
keywords: ablation; cryoballoon; endoscopic ablation system; paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; pulmonary vein isolation; single-shot device; treatment of atrial fibrillation