[Contact force control - the key to safe zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia]. / Die Anpresskraftkontrolle als Schlüssel zur sicheren strahlenfreien Katheterablation der AV-Knoten-Reentrytachykardie.

BACKGROUND: Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is a frequent supraventricular tachycardia in children and young adults. Despite favourable success rates of catheter ablation, conventional fluoroscopic catheter guidance is associated with risks of low-dose ionizing radiation for the patient and the personnel. Here we describe a technique for zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation using contact force technology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation was attempted in 12 patients with AVNRT (median age 20 years; range 11-75 years). An ablation catheter with integrated contact force sensor and a nonfluoroscopic electroanatomical mapping system was used for visualization of cardiovascular structures. Mean contact forces during mapping and ablation were restricted to an upper limit of 50 g to avoid cardiovascular injuries. RESULTS: Zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation was performed successfully and uneventfully in all patients. There were no arrhythmia recurrences during a median follow-up of 6.2 months (range 2.7-12.8). CONCLUSION: Zero-fluoroscopy catheter ablation of AVNRT is possible and appears simple yet safe, when a nonfluoroscopic electroanatomical mapping system is used in combination with an ablation catheter with integrated contact force sensor. The presented technique could thus be easily employed in most electrophysiological laboratories.