Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) with a circular-electrode-array catheter (cPFA) has shown to be effective and safe. However, data on procedural workflow are limited. OBJECTIVE: to analyze the process of streamlining cPFA-procedures including evaluation of fluoroscopy versus 3D-map guidance and lesion characteristics. METHODS: Consecutive AF-patients underwent cPFA-based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in three phases (learning-phase-I: visualization of cPFA in 3D-map; phase-II: operator blinded to 3D-map with fluoroscopy-guidance only; phase-III: optimized mapping and ablation). Additionally, hemolysis-parameters were collected. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients (57 % paroxysmal-AF, age 63.4 ± 9.4 years) were enrolled: n = 10 phase-I, n = 15 phase-II, n = 10 in phase III. Total procedure and fluoroscopy time was 51.9 ± 9.4 and 6.7 ± 3.1 min, respectively. First-pass PFA isolation-rate was lowest in the fluoroscopy-only phase-II (I:86 %, II:81 %, III:100 %, p = 0.0079). Insufficient PV ablation with remaining conduction occurred mostly anterior (n = 8/15, 53 %) and at the carina (n = 4/15; 27 %). Following additional PFA, all 142 PVs (100 %) were acutely isolated.Procedure times between phase II and III did not differ (49 ± 8 vs. 46 ± 3 mins p = 0.23). Fluoroscopy times were longer in phase-II (phase-I: 5.8 ± 1.3, phase-II: 9.2 ± 2.9, phase-III: 3.8 ± 1.0 mins, p < 0.0001). No complications occurred. Pre- and post-ablation hemoglobin (14.4 ± 1.4 vs. 13.5 ± 1.2 g/dl, p = 0.0169) and LDH (188 ± 39 vs. 210 ± 29 U/l, p = 0.0007) were different. CONCLUSION: The cPFA-catheter allows for fast and efficient PVI. A fluoroscopy-only approach creates distal PV ablation lesions that are associated with residual PV conduction along the carina and anterior antrum. However, with visualization and mapping, creation of wide antral ablation lesions is feasible without prolonging procedural duration.