Open AccessA comparison of 8‐mm and open‐irrigated gold‐tip catheters for typical atrial flutter ablation: Data from a prospective multicenter registry
Author(s) -
De Ruvo Ermenegildo,
Sagone Antonio,
Rovaris Giovanni,
Marchese Procolo,
Santamaria Matteo,
Solimene Francesco,
Rauhe Werner,
Piazzi Elena,
Moretti Luciano,
Parisi Quintino,
Schillaci Vincenzo,
Pelissero Elisa,
Manfrin Massimiliano,
Giacopelli Daniele,
Gargaro Alessio,
Calò Leonardo,
Senatore Gaetano
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of arrhythmia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.463
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1883-2148
pISSN - 1880-4276
DOI - 10.1002/joa3.12069
Subject(s) - medicine , fluoroscopy , ablation , atrial flutter , interquartile range , radiofrequency ablation , catheter , catheter ablation , gold standard (test) , clinical endpoint , surgery , cardiology , nuclear medicine , randomized controlled trial
Background Cavotricuspid isthmus ( CTI ) radiofrequency ( RF ) catheter ablation is the standard treatment for patients suffering from CTI ‐dependent atrial flutter ( AFL ). The aim of this study was to compare the use in clinical practice of 8‐mm gold‐tip catheter (8mm RFC ) and open‐irrigated gold‐tip catheter (irr RFC ) for RF typical AFL ablation. Methods Patients with typical AFL were treated with 8mm RFC or irr RFC catheters according to investigator preferences. The primary endpoint was the cumulative radiofrequency time ( CRFT ). Fluoroscopy time, acute and 6‐month success rates were secondary endpoints. Results After excluding 3 patients with left AFL , 157 of the enrolled patients (median age 71.8 [interquartile range, 64.1‐76.2], 76% men, 91% in NYHA class ≤ II , 65% with no structural heart disease) were analyzed: 74 (47%) subjects were treated with the 8mm RFC and 83 (53%) with the irr RFC . The median CRFT was 3 [2‐6] minutes in the 8mm RFC group and 5 [3‐7] minutes in the irr RFC group ( P = .183). There were no significant differences in ablation success rates, intraprocedural CTI reconnections, audible steam pops, and procedural times. In the 8mm RFC group, a significantly lower fluoroscopy time was observed as compared to the irr RFC group (8 [5‐12] vs 15 [10‐20] minutes, P < .001). During the follow‐up period, AFL recurrences were documented in 3 patients in the 8mm RFC group and 2 in the irr RFC group ( P = .655). Conclusions The 8mm RFC and the irr RFC performed similarly in routine practice for CTI ablation in terms of cumulative RF time, acute and 6‐month success rates. Fluoroscopy time was significantly lower in the 8mm RFC group.