Cryoablation

Cryoablation Virtually Painless Compared with RF Ablation

Sat, 03 May 2008 13:34:43 -0400

In a small, randomized trial comparing the two techniques, cryoablation proved significantly less painful to patients than radiofrequency (RF) ablation when used to ablate the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI). The cold technique did take slightly longer but was just as effective, although the study's small size will require a larger trial to verify efficacy.

Dr. Carl Timmermans and his colleagues at the Academic Hospital Maastricht randomized 14 consecutive patients with type I atrial flutter to receive either RF ablation or cryoablation. Patients were asked to evaluate pain using a visual analog scale (VAS).
Ablation was successful for all patients except one from the RF group who had incomplete blockage, a nonsignificant difference. No one who was successfully ablated had recurrence at a 6-month follow-up.

An Introduction to Cardiac Cryoablation

Sat, 03 May 2008 13:34:42 -0400

During this trial, we enrolled 163 patients over about a two-year period. In the end, we were very successful in the treatment of AVNRT. Our tougher cases were in the accessory pathways and total nodes. It became obvious to us that cryoablation was different from radiofrequency ablation, and that we needed to understand cryo as an energy source a little better. In April of 2003 we were granted FDA approval for the treatment of AVNRT using our Freezor cryoablation catheter. During the first year of market release, over 60 cryoablation systems have been installed in the US.
So how is cryo different from radiofrequency? One of the main differences is that we are not delivering heat to the tissue; rather, we are removing the heat just like how your refrigerator or air conditioner works. By removing heat, the connective tissue matrix is not disrupted and the result is a uniform, well fibrosed lesion.

Initial Experience with CryoCath Cryoablation at the Heart Hospital of New Mexico

Sat, 03 May 2008 13:34:42 -0400

In the third installment of the Cryotherapy section, Dr. Constantin describes his experience using the CryoCath Freezor ablation system. In this article, he outlines the benefits of using cryoablation and compares its uses with radiofrequency.

One of the more compelling aspects of the field of clinical cardiac electrophysiology is the accelerated evolution of applied technologies impacting favorably on the lives of patients. A very recent addition hails from our neighbors in Canada. On April 22, CryoCath Technologies received FDA approval to market the Freezor ® Cryoablation System in the United States for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT). The first approved procedure was performed less than two weeks later at the Texas Heart Institute.

Using Cryoablation to Treat Pediatric Patients: Interview with Peggy Strieper, DO, Director of Pacing and Electrophysiology at S

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:22:30 -0400

Cryoablation is making its way as the preferred technology in the treatment of arrhythmias. Dr. Strieper, of Children s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), recently began using the procedure in pediatric patients. In this article, she describes the procedure and its success rates.

Briefly describe the cryoablation procedure. What are the benefits of using cryo?