Co-Author(s):
Kent Nilsson, Doctor of Medicine - Cardiac Electrophysiology, Johns Hopkins University
MIchael Ahmed, BS Cellular Biology - Medical Student
Sujay Sreenivasan, A.B Music - Medical Student, University of Georgia
Medical College of Georgia
AU/UGA MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP University of Georgia Health Sciences Campus Prince Avenue Athens, GA 30602
Introduction | Objectives: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has emerged as a cornerstone of management for atrial fibrillation. This procedure typically includes the use of fluoroscopy studies for catheter navigation, thus exposing both health care workers and the patient to harmful ionizing radiation. We hypothesized that the next generation Tacticath SE ablation catheter would reduce fluoroscopy time compared with the previously used Tacticath ablation catheter due to its ability to be visualized using Mediguide virtual fluoroscopy.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent PVI at Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital over a three year period (06/15/2017 to 06/25/2020). 140 patients were ablated using a Tacticath ablation catheter, and 85 patients were ablated using the sensor enabled Tacticath SE. The average fluoroscopy study time between the two cohorts were subsequently compared.
Results: The average fluoroscopy time using the Tacticath ablation catheter was 4.96 minutes versus 3.6 minutes with the next generationTacticath SE ablation catheter (27.4% reduction, p< 0.001).
Conclusions: n combination with Mediguide Virtual Fluoroscopy, the Tacticath SE ablation catheter significantly reduces fluoroscopy study time and ionizing radiation in PVI procedures.