Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) for Pulmonary Vein Isolation in τhe Treatment οf Atrial Fibrillation

Pulsed Field Ablation

Authors

  • Sokratis Pastromas Henry Dunant Hospital

Abstract

Pulsed‐field ablation (PFA) is a promising new ablation modality for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) remains the most frequently used treatment strategy of any AF ablation procedure. A major limitation of current catheter ablation procedures is PVI reconnection, reported to be about 20% of patients. Pulsed field ablation is a novel energy source by which high-voltage electric pulses are used to create pores in the cellular membrane (i.e., electroporation), leading to cellular death. The amount of energy required to produce irreversible electroporation is highly tissue dependent reducing the risk of damage to surrounding non-cardiac tissues. The tissue specificity of PFA may result in a wide therapeutic range and improved safety profile during atrial fibrillation ablation. There has been no evidence of incidental phrenic nerve injury, and finally, PFA has been shown not to injure esophageal tissue when directly applied to the esophagus or indirectly through ablation in the left atrium. Rhythmos 2022;17(4): 75-78.

Downloads

Published

2022-10-15

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 4 (2022)

Section

Review

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).