Initial Experience in Pulmonary Veins' Isolation with the Use of Cryo-balloon Catheter

Ben Ben Avraham Roman Nevzorov Gustavo Goldenberg Ehud Kadmon Alon Barsheshet Jairo Kuzniec Boris Strasberg Gregory Golovchiner

Cardiology Department, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva

Background: Pulmonary veins’ isolation (PVI) is an established method of treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). Lately several novel technologies to facilitate AF ablation have emerged. Cryo-ablation with the use of balloon catheter (CBA) is one of them. Recent studies have shown its safety and reasonable efficacy.

Methods: Prospective registry in Rabin Medical Center that included all consecutive patients, undergoing CBA has been analyzed for method safety and efficacy during a short term follow up. Results: 22 patients have undergone cryo-ablation. Characteristics are presented in Table.

All the procedures, except 2 have been performed under conscious sedation. From 86 pulmonary veins, the isolation has been achieved in 85. At follow up(available in 15 patients, mean 14.5 weeks) 12 patients were in sinus rhythm, 2 having paroxysms of AF, and one patient remained in persistent AF. There were no major complications during the procedure, in-hospital and in short follow-up. Patients’ AF functional class (CCS-SAF) improved significantly from a median (interqurtile range) of 2 (2, 3) to 0 (0, 2; p=0.001).

Conclusion: Crio-ablation with a use of balloon catheter is a safe method for PVI with good results as seen at short follow up.