Use of intracardiac echocardiography for prediction of chronic pulmonary vein stenosis after ablation of atrial fibrillation. Saad, E.; Cole, C.; Marrouche, N.; Dresing, T.; Perez-Lugones, A.; Saliba, W.; Schweikert, R.; Klein, A.; Rodriguez, L.; Grimm, R.; Tchou, P.; and Natale, A. j-JCE, 13(10):986--989, October, 2002. bibtex @Article{RSM:Saa2002b,
author = "E.B. Saad and C.R. Cole and N.F. Marrouche and T.J.
Dresing and A. Perez-Lugones and W.I. Saliba and R.A.
Schweikert and A. Klein and L. Rodriguez and R. Grimm
and P. Tchou and A. Natale",
title = "Use of intracardiac echocardiography for prediction of
chronic pulmonary vein stenosis after ablation of
atrial fibrillation.",
journal = j-JCE,
year = "2002",
month = oct,
volume = "13",
number = "10",
pages = "986--989",
robnote = "afib INTRODUCTION: Measurements of pulmonary vein (PV) flow
with intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) immediately
before and after PV isolation may be a useful method
for predicting which patients will develop chronic PV
stenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed preablation
and postablation flows in each of the four PVs using a
phase-array ICE catheter in 95 patients (mean age 52
+/- 13) undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation. The
ostium of each of the PVs was defined using
angiography, electrical mapping, and ICE imaging.
Ostial electrical isolation of all PVs was achieved
using a 4-mm cooled-tip radiofrequency ablation
catheter. Change in PV flow, when present, was examined
as both an absolute value and as a percentage of the
baseline flow. All patients underwent spiral computed
tomography (CT) scans of the PVs 3 months after the
procedure for detection of stenosis. The average
preablation diastolic flows for the left superior, left
inferior, right superior, and right inferior veins were
0.56, 0.54, 0.47, and 0.45 m/sec, respectively. These
values increased to 0.74, 0.67, 0.58, and 0.59 m/sec
postablation (P < 0.001). Of 380 PVs ablated, the CT
scans revealed 2 (1\%) with severe (>70\%) stenosis, 13
(3\%) with moderate (51\%-70\%) stenosis, and 62 (16\%)
with mild (< or = 50\%) stenosis. The r value between
flow and stenosis was only 0.09 (P = NS). CONCLUSION:
Acute changes in PV flow immediately after ostial PV
isolation do not appear to be a strong predictor of
chronic PV stenosis.",
bibdate = "Sat Aug 11 12:17:51 2007",
}