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Shah K, Bhardwaj R, Turagam MK, Sharma D, Lakkireddy D, Garg J. Clinical outcomes associated with an esophageal cooling device. Heart Rhythm 2024:S1547-5271(24)02685-7. [PMID: 38878940 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2024.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Shah
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, MercyOne Siouxland Heart and Vascular Center, Sioux City, Iowa
| | - Rahul Bhardwaj
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, California
| | - Mohit K Turagam
- Helmsley Electrophysiology Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Dinesh Sharma
- Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, NCH Healthcare System, Naples, Florida
| | | | - Jalaj Garg
- Division of Cardiology, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, California.
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Omotoye S, Singleton MJ, Zagrodzky J, Clark B, Sharma D, Metzl MD, Gallagher MM, Meininghaus DG, Leung L, Garg J, Warrier N, Panico A, Tamirisa K, Sanchez J, Mickelsen S, Sardana M, Shah D, Athill C, Hayat J, Silva R, Clark AT, Gray M, Levi B, Kulstad E, Girouard S, Zagrodzky W, Montoya MM, Bustamante TG, Berjano E, González-Suárez A, Daniels J. Mechanisms of action behind the protective effects of proactive esophageal cooling during radiofrequency catheter ablation in the left atrium. Heart Rhythm O2 2024; 5:403-416. [PMID: 38984358 PMCID: PMC11228283 DOI: 10.1016/j.hroo.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Proactive esophageal cooling for the purpose of reducing the likelihood of ablation-related esophageal injury resulting from radiofrequency (RF) cardiac ablation procedures is increasingly being used and has been Food and Drug Administration cleared as a protective strategy during left atrial RF ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. In this review, we examine the evidence supporting the use of proactive esophageal cooling and the potential mechanisms of action that reduce the likelihood of atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) formation. Although the pathophysiology behind AEF formation after thermal injury from RF ablation is not well studied, a robust literature on fistula formation in other conditions (eg, Crohn disease, cancer, and trauma) exists and the relationship to AEF formation is investigated in this review. Likewise, we examine the abundant data in the surgical literature on burn and thermal injury progression as well as the acute and chronic mitigating effects of cooling. We discuss the relationship of these data and maladaptive healing mechanisms to the well-recognized postablation pathophysiological effects after RF ablation. Finally, we review additional important considerations such as patient selection, clinical workflow, and implementation strategies for proactive esophageal cooling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jason Zagrodzky
- St. David’s Medical Center, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, Texas
| | | | | | - Mark D. Metzl
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, Illinois
| | - Mark M. Gallagher
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lisa Leung
- St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jalaj Garg
- Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California
| | - Nikhil Warrier
- MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Fountain Valley, California
| | | | - Kamala Tamirisa
- Cardiac Electrophysiology, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Dallas, Texas
| | - Javier Sanchez
- Cardiac Electrophysiology, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Dallas, Texas
| | | | | | - Dipak Shah
- Ascension Providence Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
| | | | - Jamal Hayat
- Department of Gastroenterology, St George’s University Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rogelio Silva
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Advocate Aurora Christ Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Audra T. Clark
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | | | - Benjamin Levi
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | | | | | | | | | - Enrique Berjano
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana González-Suárez
- Translational Medical Device Lab, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Valencian International University, Valencia, Spain
| | - James Daniels
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Zagrodzky W, Cooper J, Joseph C, Sackett M, Silva J, Kuk R, McHugh J, Brumback B, Park S, Hayward R, Taneja T, Vu A, Liu T, Kulstad E, Kaplan A, Ramireddy A, Omotoye S. Association between proactive esophageal cooling and increased lab throughput. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2024; 35:1150-1155. [PMID: 38566579 DOI: 10.1111/jce.16263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Proactive esophageal cooling has been FDA cleared to reduce the likelihood of ablation-related esophageal injury resulting from radiofrequency (RF) cardiac ablation procedures. Data suggest that procedure times for RF pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) also decrease when proactive esophageal cooling is employed instead of luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring. Reduced procedure times may allow increased electrophysiology (EP) lab throughput. We aimed to quantify the change in EP lab throughput of PVI cases after the introduction of proactive esophageal cooling. METHODS EP lab throughput data were obtained from three EP groups. We then compared EP lab throughput over equal time frames at each site before (pre-adoption) and after (post-adoption) the adoption of proactive esophageal cooling. RESULTS Over the time frame of the study, a total of 2498 PVIs were performed over a combined 74 months, with cooling adopted in September 2021, November 2021, and March 2022 at each respective site. In the pre-adoption time frame, 1026 PVIs were performed using a combination of LET monitoring with the addition of esophageal deviation when deemed necessary by the operator. In the post-adoption time frame, 1472 PVIs were performed using exclusively proactive esophageal cooling, representing a mean 43% increase in throughput (p < .0001), despite the loss of two operators during the post-adoption time frame. CONCLUSION Adoption of proactive esophageal cooling during PVI ablation procedures is associated with a significant increase in EP lab throughput, even after a reduction in total number of operating physicians in the post-adoption group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Cooper
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Matthew Sackett
- Centra Health, Centra Lynchburg General Hospital and Centra Specialty Hospital, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Jose Silva
- Centra Health, Centra Lynchburg General Hospital and Centra Specialty Hospital, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Richard Kuk
- Centra Health, Centra Lynchburg General Hospital and Centra Specialty Hospital, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Julia McHugh
- Centra Health, Centra Lynchburg General Hospital and Centra Specialty Hospital, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Babette Brumback
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Shirley Park
- Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Robert Hayward
- Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Taresh Taneja
- Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Andrew Vu
- Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Taylor Liu
- Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Lazarus C, Sherman J, Putzel N, Zagrodzky W, Sharkoski T, Ro A, Nazari J, Fisher W, Kulstad E, Metzl M. Reduced Continuity Index with Proactive Esophageal Cooling Compared to Luminal Temperature Monitoring During Radiofrequency Ablation: Improved Lesion Continuity with Esophageal Cooling. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.09.24305586. [PMID: 38645228 PMCID: PMC11030476 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.24305586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Proactive esophageal cooling is FDA cleared to reduce the likelihood of esophageal injury during radiofrequency ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Long-term follow-up data have also shown improved freedom from arrhythmia with proactive esophageal cooling compared to luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). One hypothesized mechanism is improved lesion contiguity (as measured by the Continuity Index) with the use of cooling. We aimed to compare the Continuity Index of PVI cases using proactive esophageal cooling to those using LET monitoring. Methods Continuity Index was calculated for PVI cases at two different hospitals within the same health system using a slightly modified Continuity Index to facilitate both real-time calculation during observation of PVI cases and retrospective determination from recorded cases. The results were then compared between proactively cooled cases and those using LET monitoring. Results Continuity Indices for a total of 101 cases were obtained; 77 cases using proactive esophageal cooling and 24 cases using traditional LET monitoring. With proactive esophageal cooling, the average Continuity Index was 2.7 (1.3 on the left pulmonary vein, and 1.5 on the right pulmonary vein). With LET monitoring, the average Continuity Index was 27.3 (14.3 on the left, and 12.9 on the right), for a difference of 24.6 (p < 0.001). Conclusion Proactive esophageal cooling during PVI is associated with significantly improved lesion contiguity when compared to LET monitoring. This finding may offer a mechanism for the greater freedom from arrhythmia seen with proactive cooling in long-term follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob Sherman
- Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Alex Ro
- NorthShore University Hospital, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jose Nazari
- NorthShore University Hospital, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Mark Metzl
- NorthShore University Hospital, Evanston, IL, USA
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Gomez Bustamante T, Mercado Montoya M, Berjano E, González-Suárez A, Kulstad E. Proactive esophageal cooling during laser cardiac ablation: A computer modeling study. Lasers Surg Med 2024; 56:392-403. [PMID: 38436122 DOI: 10.1002/lsm.23774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Laser ablation is increasingly used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). However, atrioesophageal injury remains a potentially serious complication. While proactive esophageal cooling (PEC) reduces esophageal injury during radiofrequency ablation, the effects of PEC during laser ablation have not previously been determined. We aimed to evaluate the protective effects of PEC during laser ablation of AF by means of a theoretical study based on computer modeling. METHODS Three-dimensional mathematical models were built for 20 different cases including a fragment of atrial wall (myocardium), epicardial fat (adipose tissue), connective tissue, and esophageal wall. The esophagus was considered with and without PEC. Laser-tissue interaction was modeled using Beer-Lambert's law, Pennes' Bioheat equation was used to compute the resultant heating, and the Arrhenius equation was used to estimate the fraction of tissue damage (FOD), assuming a threshold of 63% to assess induced necrosis. We modeled laser irradiation power of 8.5 W over 20 s. Thermal simulations extended up to 250 s to account for thermal latency. RESULTS PEC significantly altered the temperature distribution around the cooling device, resulting in lower temperatures (around 22°C less in the esophagus and 9°C in the atrial wall) compared to the case without PEC. This thermal reduction translated into the absence of transmural lesions in the esophagus. The esophagus was thermally damaged only in the cases without PEC and with a distance equal to or shorter than 3.5 mm between the esophagus and endocardium (inner boundary of the atrial wall). Furthermore, PEC demonstrated minimal impact on the lesion created across the atrial wall, either in terms of maximum temperature or FOD. CONCLUSIONS PEC reduces the potential for esophageal injury without degrading the intended cardiac lesions for a variety of different tissue thicknesses. Thermal latency may influence lesion formation during laser ablation and may play a part in any collateral damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Enrique Berjano
- Department of Electronic Engineering, BioMIT, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
| | - Ana González-Suárez
- Translational Medical Device Lab, School of Medicine, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, University of Galway, Ireland
- Valencian International University, Valencia, Spain
| | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Assis F, Tandri H, Shah R, Batich C, Karmarkar P, Gonuguntla A, Dill M, Uzunoglu EC, Catanzaro JN. Effects of Intraluminal Content on Esophageal Lesion Formation During Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation: Preliminary Data. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2023; 16:672-674. [PMID: 37970703 DOI: 10.1161/circep.123.012404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Assis
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (F. A., P.K., A.G.)
| | - Harikrishna Tandri
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN (H.T.)
| | - Rushil Shah
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA (R.S.)
| | - Christopher Batich
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville (C.B., M.D.)
| | - Parag Karmarkar
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (F. A., P.K., A.G.)
| | - Akhilesh Gonuguntla
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (F. A., P.K., A.G.)
| | - Michele Dill
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville (C.B., M.D.)
| | - Ekin C Uzunoglu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville (E.C.U.)
| | - John N Catanzaro
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC (J.N.C.)
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Sanchez J, Woods C, Zagrodzky J, Nazari J, Singleton MJ, Schricker A, Ruppert A, Brumback B, Jenny B, Athill C, Joseph C, Shah D, Upadhyay G, Kulstad E, Cogan J, Leyton-Mange J, Cooper J, Tamirisa K, Omotoye S, Timilsina S, Perez-Verdia A, Kaplan A, Patel A, Ro A, Corsello A, Kolli A, Greet B, Willms D, Burkland D, Castillo D, Zahwe F, Nayak H, Daniels J, MacGregor J, Sackett M, Kutayli WM, Barakat M, Percell R, Akrivakis S, Hao SC, Liu T, Panico A, Ramireddy A, Dewland T, Gerstenfeld EP, Lanes DB, Sze E, Francisco G, Silva J, McHugh J, Sung K, Feldman L, Serafini N, Kawasaki R, Hongo R, Kuk R, Hayward R, Park S, Vu A, Henry C, Bailey S, Mickelsen S, Taneja T, Fisher W, Metzl M. Atrioesophageal Fistula Rates Before and After Adoption of Active Esophageal Cooling During Atrial Fibrillation Ablation. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2023; 9:2558-2570. [PMID: 37737773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Active esophageal cooling reduces the incidence of endoscopically identified severe esophageal lesions during radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of the left atrium for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. A formal analysis of the atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) rate with active esophageal cooling has not previously been performed. OBJECTIVES The authors aimed to compare AEF rates before and after the adoption of active esophageal cooling. METHODS This institutional review board (IRB)-approved study was a prospective analysis of retrospective data, designed before collecting and analyzing the real-world data. The number of AEFs occurring in equivalent time frames before and after adoption of cooling using a dedicated esophageal cooling device (ensoETM, Attune Medical) were quantified across 25 prespecified hospital systems. AEF rates were then compared using generalized estimating equations robust to cluster correlation. RESULTS A total of 14,224 patients received active esophageal cooling during RF ablation across the 25 hospital systems, which included a total of 30 separate hospitals. In the time frames before adoption of active cooling, a total of 10,962 patients received primarily luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring during their RF ablations. In the preadoption cohort, a total of 16 AEFs occurred, for an AEF rate of 0.146%, in line with other published estimates for procedures using LET monitoring. In the postadoption cohort, no AEFs were found in the prespecified sites, yielding an AEF rate of 0% (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Adoption of active esophageal cooling during RF ablation of the left atrium for the treatment of atrial fibrillation was associated with a significant reduction in AEF rate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jose Nazari
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Amir Schricker
- Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, Burlingame, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dipak Shah
- Ascension Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Erik Kulstad
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
| | - John Cogan
- Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood, Florida, USA
| | | | - Julie Cooper
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Apoor Patel
- Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alex Ro
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Brian Greet
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Danya Willms
- Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hemal Nayak
- University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - James Daniels
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Matthew Sackett
- Centra Heart and Vascular Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Steven C Hao
- Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Taylor Liu
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | | | | | - Thomas Dewland
- University of California-San Fransisco, San Fransico, California, USA
| | | | | | - Edward Sze
- MaineHealth Cardiology, Portland, Maine, USA
| | | | - Jose Silva
- Centra Heart and Vascular Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Julia McHugh
- Centra Heart and Vascular Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Kai Sung
- Tri-City Cardiology, Mesa, Arizona, USA
| | - Leon Feldman
- Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, California, USA
| | | | - Raymond Kawasaki
- Northwest Community Healthcare, Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA
| | - Richard Hongo
- California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Richard Kuk
- Centra Heart and Vascular Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Robert Hayward
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Shirley Park
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Andrew Vu
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | | | - Shane Bailey
- LoneStar Heart and Vascular, New Braunfels, Texas, USA
| | | | - Taresh Taneja
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Santa Clara, California, USA
| | - Westby Fisher
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark Metzl
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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Tonko JB, Silberbauer J, Mann I. How to ablate the septo-pulmonary bundle: a case-based review of percutaneous ablation strategies to achieve roof line block. Europace 2023; 25:euad283. [PMID: 37713215 PMCID: PMC10558061 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euad283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrical conduction through cardiac muscle fibres separated from the main myocardial wall by layers of interposed adipose tissue are notoriously difficult to target by endocardial ablation alone. They are a recognised important cause for procedural failure due to the difficulties of delivering sufficient energy via the endocardial radiofrequency catheter to reach the outer epicardial layer without risking adverse events of the otherwise thin walled atria. Left atrial ablations for atrial fibrillation (AF) and tachycardia are commonly affected by the presence of several epicardial structures, with the septo-pulmonary bundle (SPB), Bachmann's bundle, and the ligament of Marshall all posing substantial challenges for endocardial procedures. Delivery of a transmural lesion set is essential for sustained pulmonary vein isolation and for conduction block across linear atrial lines which in turn has been described to translate into a reduced AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence rate. To overcome the limitations of endocardial-only approaches, surgical ablation techniques for epicardial or combined hybrid endo-epicardial ablations have been described to successfully target these connections. Yet, these techniques confer an increase in procedure complexity, duration, cost, and morbidity. Alternatively, coronary venous system ethanol ablation has been successfully employed by sub-selecting the vein of Marshall to facilitate mitral isthmus line block, although this approach is naturally limited to this area by the coronary venous anatomy. Increased awareness of the pathophysiological relevance of these epicardial structures and their intracardiac conduction patterns in the era of high-resolution 3D electro-anatomical mapping technology has allowed greater understanding of their contribution to the persistence of AF as well as failure to achieve transmural block by traditional ablation approaches. This might translate into novel catheter ablation strategies with procedural success rates comparable to surgical 'cut-and-sew' techniques. This review aims to give an overview of percutaneous catheter ablation strategies to target the SPB, an important cause of failed block across the roof line and isolation of the left atrial posterior wall and/or the pulmonary veins. Existing and investigational technologies will be discussed and an outlook of future approaches provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Bérénice Tonko
- Institute for Cardiovascular Science, University College London, 5 University Street, WC1E 6JF London, UK
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK
| | - John Silberbauer
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK
| | - Ian Mann
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK
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9
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Joseph C, Nazari J, Zagrodzky J, Brumback B, Sherman J, Zagrodzky W, Bailey S, Kulstad E, Metzl M. Improved 1-year outcomes after active cooling during left atrial radiofrequency ablation. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2023; 66:1621-1629. [PMID: 36670327 PMCID: PMC10359433 DOI: 10.1007/s10840-023-01474-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Active esophageal cooling during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with radiofrequency (RF) ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly being utilized to reduce esophageal injury and atrioesophageal fistula formation. Randomized controlled data also show trends towards increased freedom from AF when using active cooling. This study aimed to compare 1-year arrhythmia recurrence rates between patients treated with luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring versus active esophageal cooling during left atrial ablation. METHOD Data from two healthcare systems (including 3 hospitals and 4 electrophysiologists) were reviewed for patient rhythm status at 1-year follow-up after receiving PVI for the treatment of AF. Results were compared between patients receiving active esophageal cooling (ensoETM, Attune Medical, Chicago, IL) and those treated with traditional LET monitoring using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS A total of 513 patients were reviewed; 253 received LET monitoring using either single or multi-sensor temperature probes; and 260 received active cooling. The mean age was 66.8 (SD ± 10) years, and 36.8% were female. Arrhythmias were 60.1% paroxysmal AF, 34.3% persistent AF, and 5.6% long-standing persistent AF, with no significant difference between groups. At 1-year follow-up, KM estimates for freedom from AF were 58.2% for LET-monitored patients and 72.2% for actively cooled patients, for an absolute increase in freedom from AF of 14% with active esophageal cooling (p = .03). Adjustment for the confounders of patient age, gender, type of AF, and operator with an inverse probability of treatment weighted Cox proportional hazards model yielded a hazard ratio of 0.6 for the effect of cooling on AF recurrence (p = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS In this first study to date of the association between esophageal protection strategy and long-term efficacy of left atrial RF ablation, a clinically and statistically significant improvement in freedom from atrial arrhythmia at 1 year was found in patients treated with active esophageal cooling when compared to patients who received LET monitoring. More rigorous prospective studies or randomized studies are required to validate the findings of the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jose Nazari
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jason Zagrodzky
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's South Austin Medical Center, 901 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, TX, 78704, USA
| | - Babette Brumback
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health & Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | - Jacob Sherman
- Washington University in Saint Louis, 1 Brookings Dr, MO, 63130, St. Louis, USA
| | - William Zagrodzky
- Colorado College, 14 E Cache La Poudre St, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA
| | - Shane Bailey
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's South Austin Medical Center, 901 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, TX, 78704, USA
| | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Mark Metzl
- NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA
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10
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Leung LWM, Akhtar Z, Gallagher MM. Letter to the editor: oesophageal cooling for protection during left atrial ablations. Europace 2023; 25:euad153. [PMID: 37294672 PMCID: PMC10254069 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euad153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa W M Leung
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Zaki Akhtar
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Mark M Gallagher
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT, UK
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Leung LWM, Toor P, Akhtar Z, Bajpai A, Li A, Sohal M, Gallagher MM. Real-world results of oesophageal protection from a temperature control device during left atrial ablation. Europace 2023; 25:euad099. [PMID: 37096813 PMCID: PMC10228621 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euad099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa W M Leung
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Pavandeep Toor
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Zaki Akhtar
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Abhay Bajpai
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Anthony Li
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Manav Sohal
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
| | - Mark M Gallagher
- Department of Cardiology, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackshaw Road, London SW17 0QT, UK
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Joseph C, Cooper J, Sikka R, Zagrodzky J, Turer RW, McDonald SA, Kulstad E, Daniels J. Improved hospital discharge and cost savings with esophageal cooling during left atrial ablation. J Med Econ 2023; 26:158-167. [PMID: 36537305 DOI: 10.1080/13696998.2022.2160596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Left atrial ablation to obtain pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a technologically intensive procedure utilizing innovative and continually improving technology. Changes in the technology utilized for PVI can in turn lead to changes in procedure costs. Because of the proximity of the esophagus to the posterior wall of the left atrium, various technologies have been utilized to protect against thermal injury during ablation. The impact on hospital costs during PVI ablation from utilization of different technologies for esophageal protection during ablation has not previously been evaluated. OBJECTIVE To compare the costs of active esophageal cooling to luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring during left atrial ablation. METHODS We performed a time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) analysis to determine costs for PVI procedures. Published data and literature review were utilized to determine differences in procedure time and same-day discharge rates using different esophageal protection technologies and to determine the cost impacts of same-day discharge versus overnight hospitalization after PVI procedures. The total costs were then compared between cases using active esophageal cooling to those using LET monitoring. RESULTS The effect of implementing active esophageal cooling was associated with up to a 24.7% reduction in mean total procedure time, and an 18% increase in same-day discharge rate. TDABC analysis identified a $681 reduction in procedure costs associated with the use of active esophageal cooling after including the cost of the esophageal cooling device. Factoring in the 18% increase in same-day discharge resulted in an increased cost savings of $2,135 per procedure. CONCLUSIONS The use of active esophageal cooling is associated with significant cost-savings when compared to traditional LET monitoring, even after accounting for the additional cost of the cooling device. These savings originate from a per-patient procedural time savings and a per-population improvement in same-day discharge rate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie Cooper
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Rishi Sikka
- Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
- Lifeforce Capital, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jason Zagrodzky
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's South Austin Medical Center, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Robert W Turer
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - James Daniels
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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Cooper J, Joseph C, Zagrodzky J, Woods C, Metzl M, Turer RW, McDonald SA, Kulstad E, Daniels J. Active esophageal cooling during radiofrequency ablation of the left atrium: data review and update. Expert Rev Med Devices 2022; 19:949-957. [PMID: 36413154 PMCID: PMC9839561 DOI: 10.1080/17434440.2022.2150930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the left atrium of the heart is increasingly used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF). Unfortunately, inadvertent thermal injury to the esophagus can occur during this procedure, potentially creating an atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) which is 80% fatal. The ensoETM (Attune Medical, Chicago, IL), is an esophageal cooling device that has been shown to reduce thermal injury to the esophagus during RF ablation. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes growing evidence related to active esophageal cooling during RF ablation for the treatment of AF. The review presents data demonstrating improved outcomes related to patient safety and procedural efficiency and suggests directions for future research. EXPERT OPINION The use of active esophageal cooling during RF ablation reduces esophageal injury, reduces or eliminates fluoroscopy requirements, reduces procedure duration and post-operative pain, and increases long-term freedom from arrhythmia. These effects in turn increase patient same-day discharge rates, decrease operator cognitive load, and reduce cost. These findings are likely to further accelerate the adoption of active esophageal cooling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Cooper
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | | | - Jason Zagrodzky
- Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, Austin, TX 78704
| | | | - Mark Metzl
- NorthShore University Health System, 2650 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
| | - Robert W. Turer
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | | | - Erik Kulstad
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - James Daniels
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
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