Cardiac computed tomography and ablation of atrial fibrillation

Both cardiac computed tomography (CT) and interventional electrophysiology (EP) have evolved considerably in recent years. Technical improvements in CT have significantly reduced the radiation dose in cardiac applications. This imaging technology plays an important role in preprocedural planning and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Herzschrittmachertherapie & Elektrophysiologie 2012-12, Vol.23 (4), p.281
Main Authors: Schmidt, Martin, Straube, F, Ebersberger, U, Dorwarth, U, Wankerl, M, Krieg, J, Hoffmann, E
Format: Article
Language:ger
Subjects:
Atrial Fibrillation - diagnostic imaging
Atrial Fibrillation - surgery
Body Surface Potential Mapping - methods
Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures - methods
Humans
Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods
Radiography
Software
Subtraction Technique
Surgery, Computer-Assisted - methods
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Summary:Both cardiac computed tomography (CT) and interventional electrophysiology (EP) have evolved considerably in recent years. Technical improvements in CT have significantly reduced the radiation dose in cardiac applications. This imaging technology plays an important role in preprocedural planning and guidance of the procedures in many EP centers worldwide. Furthermore, CT is the imaging modality of choice to diagnose relevant complications in ablation of atrial fibrillation, e.g. pulmonary vein stenosis or atrioesophageal fistula. In anatomically driven ablation procedures, such as balloon-based procedures in atrial fibrillation, detailed analysis of the relevant cardiac structures is absolutely crucial not only to reduce radiation exposure and procedure times but also to improve ablation success and to reduce the occurrence of complications. Current software applications enable 3-dimensional reconstruction of cardiac images and the integration into electroanatomical navigation systems. This article reviews the available evidence in this field and highlights recent developments in image guidance for ablation of atrial fibrillation.
ISSN:1435-1544