Contact force sensing during atrial fibrillation ablation: clinical experience and effects on outcomes

ABSTRACT

Catheter ablation is an effective treatment option for atrial fibrillation (AF), and pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone of AF ablation. When AF recurs after ablation, PV reconnection is frequently seen during repeat ablation. As such, achieving durable chronic PVI by delivering effective, transmural lesions during the index ablation is key to optimize long-term outcomes. The development of contact force (CF) sensing technologies integrated into ablation catheters now allow for real-time visualization of applied CF during PVI and have been shown to improve ablation efficacy and safety. The aim of this review is to describe the CF technology, summarize the literature on the outcomes of CF-guided ablation, and to discuss procedural aspects that are crucial when using CF.

KEYWORDS:

• Contact force
• atrial fibrillation
• catheter
• ablation
• arrhythmia

Declaration of interest

P Santangeli is a consultant for Biosense Webster and St. Jude Medical. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.