Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) ablation is alternative treatment to drugs. Literature suggests that use of contact force (CF) catheter with higher power for short periods is effective and safe. Methods/Results: Retrospectively analyzed 76 patients undergoing the first ablation. Third five patients‐group A: 27 (77%) paroxysmal AFib (PAFib) and 8 (23%) persistent AFib (PersAFib) who underwent ablation at the power of 30 W‐17 mL/minute flow with a CF of 10‐30 g for 30 seconds. Fourty one patients‐group B: 28 (68.3%) PAFib and 13 (31.70%) PersAFib underwent ablation using 45 W on posterior wall with CF of 8/15 g, as well as 50‐W anterior wall with CF of 10/20 g‐35 mL/minute flow for 6 seconds. Pulmonary vein isolation in both groups and ablated. For patients not in the sinus, we performed cardioversion before ablation. No complications. Group A: Left atrial time 110 ± 29 minutes, total 148 ± 33.6 minutes, radiofrequency time (RF) 4558 ± 1998 seconds, X‐ray 8.5 ± 3.5 minutes, and elevation of esophageal temperature (ET) in 26 (74.3%). group B: Left atrial time 70.7 ± 18.5 minutes ( P < .00001), total 106 ± 23 minutes ( P < .00001), RF 1909 ± 675.8 seconds ( P < .00001), X‐ray 8.8 ± 6.6 minutes ( P = .221) and elevation of ET in 21 (51.20% ‐ P = .0578). In 6 and 12 months follow‐up, we had 9 (25.71%) and 11 (31.42%) recurrences in group A and 5 (12.19%) and 7 (17.07%) in group B ( P = .231 at 6 and P = .14 at 12 months), respectively. Conclusions: HPSD was safe, useful, and efficient compared with CT, and reduced procedural time and total RF time. HPSD may reduce esophageal injury because of lower heating rate and it may reduce the recurrence of atrial tachyarrythmias.

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Background  Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is alternative treatment to medical therapy. Most feared complication is atrioesophageal fistula Methods Observational, retrospective analysis of consecutive 355 patients undergoing first AF ablation. Low‐power long‐duration (LPLD) group contained 158 patients, with 121 (76.58%) having paroxysmal AF who underwent ablation with power 20/30W (anterior and posterior left atrial wall), 17 mL/min flow, and a contact force of 10–30 g for 30 s. High‐power short‐duration group (HPSD) contained 197 patients, with 113 (57.36%) having paroxysmal AF who underwent ablation at 45/50W of power with a contact force of 8–15 g/10–20 g and a 35 mL/min flow rate for 6–8 s on the anterior and the posterior left atrial wall, respectively. Both groups had pulmonary veins isolated and atrial flutter was ablated when needed. For patients not in sinus rhythm, cardioversion was performed before ablation Results There were no complications. LPLD group: Left atrial time 118.74 min, total 145.32 min, radiofrequency time 4317.99s, X‐ray 13.42 min, and elevation of luminal esophageal temperature (LET) in 132 (84.53%) patients. HPSD group: Left atrial time 72.16 min, total 93.76 min, radiofrequency time 1511.29s, X‐ray 7.6 min, and LET elevation in only 75 (38.07%) patients. A markedly higher rate of first‐pass isolation was observed in HPSD compared to LPLD, 77.16% versus 13.29%, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 64 (40.50%) and 32 (16.24%) in 28.45 and 22.35 months in LPLD and HPSD patients, respectively. In LPLD, 10 patients were submitted to endoscopy, and one (10%) had mild erythema and in HPSD, 13 performed the endoscopy, with two (15.38%) patients showing mild erythema Conclusion HPSD technique compared to the LPLD technique showed significant reduced radiofrequency and fluoroscopy times, higher rate of first‐pass isolation, lower recurrence rate, and esophageal temperature elevation and may also have a protective effect avoiding incidental esophageal injury due to these findings.

Introduction: Different results are described after atrial fibrillation ablation and multiples predictors of recurrence are well established. Objective: Evaluate and analyze if first-pass isolation effect (FPI) during first atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation with high-power short-duration (HPSD) comparing to low-power long-duration (LPLD) can impact on late outcome. Methods: Observational, retrospective study, 144 patients submitted to HPSD and LPLD ablation. HPSD: 71 patients, 50 (70.42%) males, mean age 59.73 years, 52 (73.24%) hypertension, 44 (61.97%) obstructive apnea, 23 (32.39%) arterial disease, 20 (28.17%) diabetes, and 10(14.08%) stroke. CHADS2VASC2 2.57. CT: 73 patients, 50 (68.49%) males, mean age 60.7 years, 53 (72.60%) hypertension, 41 (56.16%) obstructive apnea, 28 (38.36%) arterial disease, 14 (19.17%) diabetes and 8 (10.96%) stroke. CHAD2SVASC2 2.22. Results: Recurrence occurred in 33 patients (22.92%) at 12 months follow-up, HPSD with 9 patients and LPLD with 24 patients. Higher rate of bilateral FPI were observed in HPSD patients with 62 of 71 patients comparing to 17 of 73 patients in LPLD (P < 0.00001). At the end of study 62 (87.32%) of 71 HPSD patients were in sinus rhythm comparing to 49 (67.12%) of 73 patients in LPLD (P 0.0039). Conclusion: HPSD ablation produced higher rates of FPI comparing to LPLD. HPSD compared to LPLD showed a superiority in maintaining sinus rhythm at 12 months. At patients submitted to HPSD protocol ablation, FPI could predict higher rate of sinus rhythm at 12 months follow-up.

Introduction: Different results are described after atrial fibrillation ablation and multiples predictors of recurrence are well established. Objective: Evaluate and analyze if patients submitted to first time atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation with high-power short-duration (HPSD) have better outcomes compared to low-power long-duration (LPLD). Methods: Observational, retrospective study, 144 patients submitted to HPSD and LPLD ablation. HPSD: 71 patients, 50(70.42%) males, mean age 59.73 years, 52(73.24%) hypertension, 44(61.97%) obstructive apnea, 23(32.39%) arterial disease, 20(28.17%) Diabetes, and 10(14.08%) strokes. CHADS2VASC2 2.57. CT: 73 patients, 50(68.49%) males, mean age 60.7 years, 53(72.60%) hypertension, 41(56.16%) obstructive apnea, 28(38.36%) arterial disease, 14(19.17%) Diabetes and 8 (10.96%) strokes. CHAD2SVASC2 2.22. Results: Recurrence occurred in 33 patients (22.92%) at 12 months follow-up, of these, HPSD with 9 patients and LPLD with 24 patients. At the end of study 62 (87.32%) of 71 HPSD patients were in sinus rhythm comparing to 49 (67.12%) of 73 patients in LPLD (P of .0039). Conclusion: HPSD compared to LPLD showed a superiority in maintaining sinus rhythm at 12 months and a significant lower recurrence rate. Also, lower procedure time, esophageal heating and radiofrequency time was significant lower in HPSD technique.

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This is a series case report of five symptomatic patients presented with diagnosis of sinus bradycardia, first and second degrees atrioventricular (AV) blocks, that were referred to pacemaker implantation. During the screening, a functional cause for the bradycardia and AV blocks were documented by treadmill stress test, 24-hour Holter monitoring and atropine test. After the confirmation of the diagnosis, patients were submitted to cardioneuroablation on an anatomical basis supported by a tridimensional electroanatomical fractionation mapping software. The technique and the acute and short-term results of the cardioneuroablation are described.

Percutaneous procedures through femoral access in patients with inferior vena cava (IVC) filter may be at risk of complications. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) through femoral access in patients previously implanted with IVC filter. We described the WatchmanTM device implantation in two patients with formal contraindication for oral anticoagulation. First patient had a GreenfieldTM filter and the second one an OpteaseTM filter, and in this patient an attempt to withdrawal the filter immediately before the LAAC procedure failed. A femoral approach was performed in both patients using a 14 Fr sheath. Before crossing IVC filters, venographies did not detect any thrombus. All steps of IVC filter crossing were performed under fluoroscopic guidance. No immediate or intrahospital complications related to the procedure occurred. Herein, we presented two cases of successful LAAC closure with Watchman device in patients with two different kinds of IVC filters.