Authors' recommendations: Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac arrhythmia that is characterized by loss of the normal sinoatrial electrical signal and rapid, uncoordinated atrial contractions. Atrial fibrillation affects more than 2.2 million individuals in the United States. Medical therapies include antiarrhythmic medications, implantable cardioverter defibrillators and pacemakers, and catheter ablation. Manual (hand-held) catheter radiofrequency ablation of the atrioventricular node is an established treatment modality for drug-refractory symptomatic patients with atrial fibrillation. This procedure involves a specialized catheter designed to deliver energy (e.g., electrical, thermal), which is threaded into the atrium under fluoroscopic guidance to create a lesion in specific sites in the atrial tissue. The lesions modify the electrical properties of the atrium and eliminate fibrillation. Although effective, manual navigation of catheter ablation has several limitations, including imprecise catheter manipulation and poor stability, heavy reliance on physician skill, long surgical time, physician fatigue, and radiation exposure for the patient and clinical staff.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2011

URL for published report: http://www.hayesinc.com/hayes/crd/?crd=13399

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: HAYES, Inc.

Contact Address: 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218

Contact Name: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Contact Email: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Copyright: 2011 Winifred S. Hayes, Inc