Clinical impact of image integration system for catheter ablation of persistent/permanent atrial fibrillation.

摘要

Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly encountered sustained arrhythmia. Echo-cardiography has augmented the knowledge about etiology and complications of atrial fibrillation. Transthoracic echocardiography allows rapid, safe and comprehensive assessment of cardiac structure and function, and is recommended for all subjects with atrial fibrillation. The use of transesophageal echocardiography has contributed to a better understanding of the thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, especially in the setting of electrical cardioversion. Several investigators have demonstrated the feasibility and safety profile of early cardioversion with short-term anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation and a transesophageal echocardiography negative for atrial thrombi. More recently, tranesophageal and intracardiac echocardiography have been employed in patients with atrial fibrillation to monitor percutaneous procedures such as pulmonary veins radiofrequency ablation or left atrial appendage obliteration.