The use of high-power, short duration ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has the potential to speed up procedural times and increase the number of ablations that can be performed in a day.
This is the message of Teresa Strisciuglio (Clinica Montevergine, Mercogliano, Italy) who spoke to Cardiac Rhythm News at the 2022 European Heart Rhythm Association annual meeting (EHRA 2022, 3‒5 April, Copenhagen, Denmark), where she presented her centre’s early experience using the technique.
Though one concern of using higher-power energy for AF ablation is the potential of increasing the risk of complications, Strisciuglio said that the technique creates shallower lesions that enable the operator to avoid damaging other tissues—particularly oesophageal tissue.
With over 200 high-power short-duration ablations performed in her centre to date, there has been no sign of any oesophageal injury she commented, but added that further study is needed to establish that this can be proven.
Commenting on the impact the use of this technique has on her practice, she said: “When I sometimes ablate with other technologies it is really frustrating for me to have a long procedural time, this technology I really feel has improved my daily practice.”
