In paroxysmal AF, HFSA failed to achieve noninferiority at 6 months but was noninferior to CPVI at 1 year in achieving freedom of AF/AT and a lower incidence of severe adverse events. In persistent AF, CPVI + HFSA offered no incremental value. (Radiofrequency Ablation of Drivers of Atrial Fibrillation [RADAR-AF]; NCT00674401).

Background-Endocardial mapping before sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT) induction may reduce mapping time during tachycardia and facilitate the ablation of unmappable VT. Methods and Results-Left ventricular electroanatomic voltage maps obtained during right ventricular apex pacing in 26 patients with chronic myocardial infarction referred for VT ablation were analyzed to identify conducting channels (CCs) inside the scar tissue. A CC was defined by the presence of a corridor of consecutive electrograms differentiated by higher voltage amplitude than the surrounding area. The effect of different levels of voltage scar definition, from 0.5 to 0.1 mV, was analyzed. Twenty-three channels were identified in 20 patients. The majority of CCs were identified when the voltage scar definition was Յ0.2 mV. Electrograms with Ն2 components were recorded more frequently at the inner than at the entrance of CCs (100% versus 75%, PՅ0.01). The activation time of the latest component was longer at the inner than at the entrance of CCs (200Ϯ40 versus 164Ϯ53 ms, PՅ0.001). Pacing from these CCs gave rise to a long-stimulus QRS interval (110Ϯ49 ms). Radiofrequency lesion applied to CCs suppressed the inducibility in 88% of CC-related tachycardias. During a follow-up of 17Ϯ11 months, 23% of the patients experienced a VT recurrence. Conclusions-CCs represent areas of slow conduction that can be identified in 75% of patients with SMVT. A tiered decreasing-voltage definition of the scar is critical for CC identification.

Electrograms with IDCs related to clinical VT can be identified in the majority of patients during RVA pacing. Radiofrequency ablation of E-IDC seems effective in controlling unmappable VT.

These data suggest the presence of rate-dependent transversal conduction block at the crista terminalis in patients with typical AFL. Block is usually observed at longer pacing cycle lengths with PW pacing than with LW pacing. This difference may be a critical determinant of the counterclockwise rotation of typical AFL.