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Bordeaux Five-Step Ablation Protocol for Chronic A-Fib
Catheter inserted into Left Atrium
By Steve S. Ryan, PhD, July 18, 2007, Updated October 2014
The French Bordeaux group uses a five-step process to treat Chronic A-Fib.
1. They start by isolating the Pulmonary Vein openings. They also eliminate potentials at the base of the Left Atrial Appendage, but do not isolate or electrically disconnect the whole of the LAA which could possibly lead to clots forming in the LAA and A-Fib stroke. (Ablating at the base of the LAA as part of the first step in treating A-Fib is a new approach and may become a very important first step in the ablation treatment of A-Fib.)
2. Next they make a roof line linear ablation linking the Right Superior Pulmonary Vein with the Left Superior Pulmonary vein opening to create complete electrical block
3. They then work in the Inferior Left Atrium and the Coronary Sinus. They make an incomplete blocking line between the Right Inferior and Left Inferior PVs in order to slow down the rapid atrial electrical activity.
They treat the Coronary Sinus as though it were another heart structure or Left Atrium, rather than just another vein opening. They disconnect the CS from the Left Atrium and ablate potentials along the Mitral Annulus. They also slow down Coronary Sinus electrical activity by ablating both inside and outside the CS with a lower wattage power, usually 25 Watts.
Bordeaux Five-Step Ablation Protocol for Chronic A-Fib
Editor’s comment: Treating the Coronary Sinus as another Left Atrium is a new approach. Most current A-Fib ablation procedures tend to stay away from the Coronary Sinus because of the risk of Stenosis (swelling). The French Bordeaux group, by using a low wattage, irrigated tip catheter, ablates within the Coronary Sinus without damaging it.
4. The fourth step is eliminating organized atrial activity in areas such as:
• Anterior Left Atrium & Left Atrial Appendage
• Septum
• Posterior Left Atrium
• Superior Vena Cava
• Right Atrial Septum
5. The fifth step is to create a Mitral Isthmus blocking linear ablation line from the Mitral Annulus to the Left Inferior PV. The goal is to eliminate all potentials along this line.
In practice, even after these five steps, rapid atrial activity often remains. It has to be mapped, traced to its source and ablated. Often the top of the Left Atrial Appendage has to be ablated.
This whole procedure requires a great deal more time, effort, persistence, skill and experience than normal left ablation procedures.
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Last updated: Sunday, February 15, 2015
