• Antoine Da Costa, Mouna Ben H'dech, Cécile Romeyer-Bouchard, Laurence Bisch, Alexis Gate-Martinet, Marie Levallois, and Karl Isaaz.
• Service de Cardiologie, Hôpital Nord, CHU de Saint-Étienne, Université Jean-Monnet, 42055 Saint-Étienne Cedex 2, France. Electronic address: dakosta@aol.com.
• Arch Cardiovasc Dis. 2013 Aug 1; 106 (8-9): 423-32.

BackgroundCatheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) focuses on pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), but the procedure is associated with significant X-ray exposure. Few data exist concerning the combination of remote magnetic navigation (RMN) and a new three-dimensional non-fluoroscopic navigation system (Carto(®) 3), which facilitates precise catheter navigation and limits X-ray exposure.AimsTo assess the efficacy and extent of fluoroscopic exposure associated with the combination of RMN and the Carto 3 system in patients requiring AF ablation.MethodsBetween January and September 2011, catheter ablation was performed remotely using the Carto 3 system in 81 consecutive patients who underwent PVI for symptomatic drug-refractory AF. The radiofrequency generator was set to a fixed power ≤ 35W. The primary endpoint was wide-area circumferential PVI confirmed by spiral catheter recording during ablation and including additional lesion lines (left atrial roof and coronary sinus defragmentation) or complex fractionated atrial electrograms for persistent AF. Secondary endpoints included procedural data, complications and freedom from atrial tachycardia (AT)/AF.ResultsMean age was 60 ± 9 years; 20% were women; 73% had symptomatic paroxysmal AF; 27% had persistent AF. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was 1.2 ± 1. Median procedure time was 3.5 ± 1 hours; median total X-ray exposure time was 13 ± 7 minutes; transseptal puncture and catheter positioning took 8 ± 4 minutes, left atrium electroanatomical reconstruction 1 ± 4 minutes and catheter ablation 3.5 ± 5minutes. Recurrences were AT (n=3; 3.7%), paroxysmal AF (n=8; 9.9%) and persistent AF (n=4; 4.9%); redo ablation was performed in these 15 (19%) patients. After a median follow-up of 15 ± 6 months and a single procedure, 71% of patients were free of symptoms; 84% remained asymptomatic after two procedures.ConclusionsRMN with irrigated catheters combined with the Carto 3 system can be effectively performed in patients requiring AF ablation with minimal use of fluoroscopy, but larger randomized studies are warranted.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

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