Prospective characterization of catheter-tissue contact force at different anatomic sites during antral pulmonary vein isolation

Abstract

Background: Catheter-tissue contact is critical for effective lesion creation. We characterized the contact force (CF) at different anatomic sites during antral pulmonary vein (PV) isolation for atrial fibrillation. Methods and Results: Two experienced operators performed PV isolation in 22 patients facilitated by a novel CF-sensing ablation catheter in a blinded fashion. Average CF and force-time integral data from 1602 lesions were analyzed. The left and right PV antra were divided into the following: carina, superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior quadrants for analysis. There was significant variability in CF within and between different PV quadrants (P<0.05). Lowest CF of all left P..