Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
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J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol. · Nov 2002
Intracardiac Doppler echocardiographic quantification of pulmonary vein flow velocity: an effective technique for monitoring pulmonary vein ostia narrowing during focal atrial fibrillation ablation.
Ablation at the pulmonary vein (PV) ostium to isolate triggers for atrial fibrillation (AF) may induce PV narrowing. The AcuNav ultrasound catheter can image PV flow and quantify peak velocity and may be useful in assessing the degree of narrowing of PV ostia. ⋯ Ostial ablation for PV isolation may induce a mild-to-moderate increase in PV flow velocity, which can be identified using an ultrasound catheter with Doppler color flow imaging. Increases in PV flow velocity (<158 cm/sec) after a primary ablation procedure appear to be well tolerated, and a return toward baseline flow characteristics should be anticipated by 3 months. A more cautious approach may be required for patients undergoing repeat PV isolation.