Ablation question

[Guest guest]

When you get an ablation done what size is the tip of the catheter (or

whatever it's called) that does the ablating? Does the doctor make lines in

tthe atria or dots? I understand that they go around the pulmonary veins.

Thank you!

Lorrie

[Guest guest]

> When you get an ablation done what size is the tip of the catheter (or

> whatever it's called) that does the ablating?

> Thank you!

> Lorrie

>

Hi Lorrie, I think a lot of this comes down to EP preference. The two

sizes I've most commonly read about are 4mm and 8mm diameters.

> Does the doctor make lines in

> the atria or dots? I understand that they go around the pulmonary veins.

he tries to join the dots to make a line

some make a full circle round the veins (not necessarily around them

individually - some go around the 2 left in one circle then the two

right with one circle and I think some go around all 4 in 1 go). This is

the circumferential ablation. Additional 'lines' joining the circles are

sometimes added.

There's a picture which gives you some idea of where the tip can go (it

doesn't show the lesion size so some of the gaps on the picture aren't

necessarily there in the heart)

http://www.massgeneral.org/cccr/cccr/cr_arrhythmia.html

The other type of common PVI is the segmental ablation - here, the docs

don't necessarily do a complete circles but go round in arc until the PV

is electrically isolated.

There are other type of ablation too but I suspect the PVI is the most

commonly performed one to fix AF these days.

One of the big issues with today's technology is that its very hard to

position a nice continuous line in the beating heart. EP skill plays a

very big part in a successful outcome.

Hope this helps

--

D