Balloon technology for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

AbstractUnlike the initial balloon ablation catheters which were designed to deliver ablation lesions within the pulmonary veins (PVs), the current balloon catheters are fashioned to deliver lesions out of the PV ostia. Using the current generation of balloon ablation catheters, electrical isolation occurs at the level of the PV ostia, but the antral regions are largely unablated because of its initial technical feasibility and presumed safety benefits, balloon cryoablation was being increasingly employed for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. Other balloon technology—endoscopically navigated laser balloon—was introduced as first real catheter “one fits all” with adjustable size of balloon infation.While high percentage of acute isolation has been demonstrated in most patients with both balloon catheters, little data are available on the chronic durability of cryoballoon or laser balloon lesions. Our own data show that cryoballoon ablation and laser balloon ablation allow for durable PV isolation with the use of a single balloon. With maintained chronic isolation in most PVs, it may represent a significant step toward consistent and lasting ablation procedures