Ultrasound ablation of pulmonary veins for treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Objective: to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound ablation of pulmonary veins for treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Methods: The study population consisted of 9 patients with 5 males and 4 females enrolled consecutively who had idiopathic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF). The ultrasound balloon was positioned through a special sheath to the orifice of the target vein by a transseptal procedure. The balloon was inflated with contrast-mixed saline (contrast: saline=1∶4) whose volume was decided by the diameter of the target pulmonary vein. The ablation energy was usually set up at 35 to 40 watts with temperature controlled at 60°C. The duration of each ablation was about 120 seconds which was repeated not over 10 times. Results: The average duration of the total procedure was 132±68 min for our patients. The average fluoroscopy time was 33±17 min. With a mean follow-up of 16±8 months after the procedure, AF was completely eliminated in 4 patients without antiarrhythmic drugs. The episodes of atrial fibrillation were eliminated in 2 patients with low dosage of oral amiodarone (0.1, once daily) which was ineffective before the procedure. The frequency of episodes was similar to that before the procedure in 3 patients. There were no complications such as hemopericardium, air embolism and stenosis of the pulmonary veins by angiography, related to the procedure. Conclusion: Ultrasound ablation of the pulmonary veins is a new approach to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Before we determined its value, we need to do more researches with bigger sample, randomization and comparison design.