In conclusion , this meta- analysis shows that the use of CF technology decreases AF recurrence at a median follow-up of 12 months and also led to decreased use of RF during ablation .
There was no difference in total procedure length and fluoroscopy exposure
The suboptimal outcomes of atrial fibrillation ( AF ) ablation have been attributed to lack of transmural lesions during pulmonary vein isolation .
The advent of contact force ( CF ) sensing technology enables real-time assessment of the applied force at the catheter-tissue interface and increases the chances of transmural lesions .
We sought to perform a meta- analysis of data from eligible studies to delineate the true impact of CF technology .
Clinical impact of an open-irrigated radiofrequency catheter with direct force measurement on atrial fibrillation ablation.
BACKGROUND Electrode-tissue contact is crucial for adequate lesion formation in radiofrequency catheter ablation ( RFCA ) . OBJECTIVE We assessed the impact of direct catheter force measurement on acute procedural parameters during RFCA of atrial fibrillation ( AF ) . METHODS Fifty consecutive patients ( 28 male ) with paroxysmal AF who underwent their first procedure of circumferential pulmonary vein ( PV ) isolation ( PVI ) were assigned to either RFCA using ( 1 ) a st and ard 3.5-mm open-irrigated-tip catheter or ( 2 ) a catheter with contact force measurement capabilities . Using the endpoint of PVI with entry and exit block , acute procedural parameters were assessed . RESULTS Procedural data showed a remarkable decline in ablation time ( radiofrequency time needed for PVI ) from 50.5 ± 15.9 to 39.0 ± 11.0 minutes ( P = 0.007 ) with a reduction in overall procedure duration from 185 ± 46 to 154 ± 39 minutes ( P = 0.022 ) . In parallel , the total energy delivered could be significantly reduced from 70,926 ± 19,470 to 58,511 ± 14,655 Ws ( P = 0.019 ) . The number of acute PV reconnections declined from 36 % to 12 % ( P = 0.095 ) . CONCLUSIONS The use of contact force sensing technology is able to significantly reduce ablation and procedure times in PVI . In addition , energy delivery is substantially reduced by avoiding radiofrequency ablation in positions with insufficient surface contact . Procedural efficacy and safety of this new feature have to be evaluated in larger cohorts
In conclusion , this meta- analysis shows that the use of CF technology decreases AF recurrence at a median follow-up of 12 months and also led to decreased use of RF during ablation .
There was no difference in total procedure length and fluoroscopy exposure
The suboptimal outcomes of atrial fibrillation ( AF ) ablation have been attributed to lack of transmural lesions during pulmonary vein isolation .
The advent of contact force ( CF ) sensing technology enables real-time assessment of the applied force at the catheter-tissue interface and increases the chances of transmural lesions .
We sought to perform a meta- analysis of data from eligible studies to delineate the true impact of CF technology .