Background
Contact force (CF) between the catheter tip and target tissue is a known
determinant of lesion quality and therefore procedural success during
catheter ablation. Complications related to catheter ablation can be due
to the increased temperature and lesion size with increasing
CF.1 Real time CF feedback is provided by the
TactiCath radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter (Abbott Laboratories,
Abbott Park, IL) which allows operators to achieve optimal lesion size
without excessive tissue damage and resulting complications. CF ablation
catheters have been used for years in the treatment of atrial
fibrillation in adult patients with evidence of more durable lesions
resulting in decreased procedure times and better
outcomes.2 However, this catheter has also been used
increasingly in pediatric patients for different
arrhythmias3, most commonly for reentrant
supraventricular tachycardia, the outcomes for which have not been as
extensively studied.
Children’s Wisconsin started using CF ablation techniques in June 2015
for catheter ablation of accessory pathways. The aim of this study was
to complete a comprehensive chart review of patients who have undergone
CF ablation and compare their procedure times, number of lesions, and
outcomes with a historical control group of standard RF catheter
ablation patients.