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2020 AF Symposium Abstract

Pulsed Field Ablation With CTI Lesions Terminates Flutter in a Small Study

Illustration of right atrium, cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) and tricuspid valve annulus.

Definition: Cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) is part of the right atrium located between the inferior vena cava (IVC) ostium and the tricuspid valve.

Typical Atrial Flutter comes from the right atrium and is usually terminated by what is called a Cavo-Tricuspid Isthmus (CTI) lesion ablation line which blocks the Flutter. But for a CTI lesion to work, the Electrophysiologist (EP) using RF has to make small continuous lesions which require intense concentration to be gap free.

Even though a CTI lesion is one of the safest ablation procedures, there are some risks. Damage can be to the right coronary artery or to the AV Node and His bundle signal pathways.

PFA Makes Flutter Ablation Easier and More Effective

Ante Anic, MD, U. Hospital Center, Croatia

An abstract distributed at the 2020 AF Symposium by Dr. Ante Anic showed how the use of Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) may significantly improve CTI ablation lesions.

Pulsed Field Ablation is fast, contact forgiving, and only affects cardiac muscle cells (cardiomyocyte).

In a small PFA study (3 patients), a continuous, non-conducting line of CTI lesions was made with a deployable 4-spline, multi-electrode basket-shaped tip catheter.

Study Results: Right atrium Typical Flutter was successfully blocked with bidirectional block (BDB) confirmed. Moreover, these CTI lesions required little time to make (3, 4, & 6 minutes).

Unlike with standard radio-frequency (RF), the Pulsed Field Ablation catheter required few ablation sites (4, 3, and 6 respectively). In effect, making a CTI ablation line with PFA was much easier and required much less precision and concentration.

After a 15 minute waiting period, bidirectional block (BDB) was confirmed in all three patients to make sure there were no Flutter signals. They also used adenosine in one patient to try to stimulate that patient back into Flutter with no success.

Overall, they found that the PFA lesions were persistent and completely blocked the Flutter.

Editor’s Comments:

Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) has different catheter shapes which enable the operator (EP) to easily work in all areas of the heart.

PFA catheter shapes: (L) Basket catheter (R) Flower Petal catheter.

In this limited study, a Cavo-Tricuspid Isthmus (CTI) lesion was used to eliminate typical Atrial Flutter. The electrophysiologist (EP) used a basket configuration to make linear, focal lesions. PFA seems well suited to any heart configuration an EP may encounter.

Furthermore, EPs don’t have to worry about precisely positioning the PFA catheter for direct contact. Proximity is all that’s needed. PFA is fast and tissue specific. It won’t damage surrounding nerves and organs.

Though a small study, this abstract from Croatia opens up new frontiers for the use of PFA.

I see Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) as a radically superior treatment for right atrium typical Flutter.

Reference for this article

Antic, A. et al. Acute Experience with Pulsed Field Ablation for Typical Flutter. University Hospital Center Split, Croatia. AF Symposium 2020 brochure, AFS 2020-26, p. 51.

If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Return to 2020 AF Symposium Reports