Prevention of atrial fibrillation by complete compartmentalization of the left atrium using a catheter technique

LA Compartmentalization for AF Prevention. Introduction: Right atrial compartmentalization has been demonstrated to only reduce the number of atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes: left atrial (LA) fibrillation still occurs. Methods and Results: We report successful LA compartmentalization resulting in isolation of all four pulmonary veins in a 51-year-old woman suffering from paroxysmal AF. Deployment of a complete encircling line resulted in dissociation of electrical activation within the isolated area from the remaining LA. Despite attempts al reinduction by pacing maneuvers inside and outside the isolated area, AF was no longer inducible. During 2l-week follow-up, the patient remained in stable sinus rhythm with rare atrial extrasystoles. Conclusion: If reproducible, this ablation strategy could allow treatment of AF independent of suppression of any triggering event.