Abstract
Atrial flutter (AFL) represents a prevalent variant of supraventricular tachycardia, distinguished by a macro-reentrant pathway encompassing the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI). Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation stands as the favored therapeutic modality for managing recurring CTI-dependent AFL. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has been proposed as a method to reduce radiation exposure during CTI ablation. This study aims to comprehensively compare procedural parameters between ICE-guided CTI ablation and fluoroscopy-only procedures. A total of 370 consecutive patients were enrolled in our single-center retrospective study. In 151 patients, procedures were performed using fluoroscopy guidance only, while 219 patients underwent ICE-guided CTI ablation. ICE guidance significantly reduced fluoroscopy time (73 (36; 175) s vs. 900 (566; 1179) s; p < 0.001), fluoroscopy dose (2.45 (0.6; 5.1) mGy vs. 40.5 (25.7; 62.9) mGy; p < 0.001), and total procedure time (70 (52; 90) min vs. 87.5 (60; 102.5) min; p < 0.001). Total ablation time (657 (412; 981) s vs. 910 (616; 1367) s; p < 0.001) and the time from the first to last ablation (20 (11; 36) min vs. 40 (25; 55) min; p < 0.01) were also significantly shorter in the ICE-guided group. Acute success rate was 100% in both groups, and no major complications occurred in either group. ICE-guided CTI ablation in patients with AFL resulted in shorter procedure times, reduced fluoroscopy exposure, and decreased ablation times, compared to the standard fluoroscopy-only approach.