Heart Rhythm
Volume 6, Issue 7 , Pages 957-961 , July 2009

Prevention of phrenic nerve injury during epicardial ablation: Comparison of methods for separating the phrenic nerve from the epicardial surface

  • Luigi Di Biase, MD

      Affiliations

    • Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
    • Department of Cardiology, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
    • ,
  • J. David Burkhardt, MD

      Affiliations

    • Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
    • ,
  • Gemma Pelargonio, MD

      Affiliations

    • Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Antonio Dello Russo, MD

      Affiliations

    • Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Michela Casella, MD

      Affiliations

    • Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Pietro Santarelli, MD

      Affiliations

    • Catholic University, Rome, Italy
    • ,
  • Rodney Horton, MD

      Affiliations

    • Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
    • ,
  • Javier Sanchez, MD

      Affiliations

    • Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
    • ,
  • Joseph G. Gallinghouse, MD

      Affiliations

    • Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
    • ,
  • Amin Al-Ahmad, MD

      Affiliations

    • Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
    • ,
  • Paul Wang, MD

      Affiliations

    • Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
    • ,
  • Jennifer E. Cummings, MD

      Affiliations

    • Akron General Hospital, Akron, Ohio
    • ,
  • Robert A. Schweikert, MD

      Affiliations

    • Akron General Hospital, Akron, Ohio
    • ,
  • Andrea Natale, MD, FHRS

      Affiliations

    • Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, St. David's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
    • Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
    • Akron General Hospital, Akron, Ohio
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Andrea Natale, 1015 East 32nd Street, Austin, TX 78705

Received 26 January 2009 ,Accepted 12 March 2009.

References 

  1. Bai R, Patel D, Di Biase L, et al. Phrenic nerve injury after catheter ablation: should we worry about this complication. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2006;17:944–948
  2. Sacher F, Monahan KH, Thomas SP, et al. Phrenic nerve injury after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation: characterization and outcome in a multicenter study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;47:2498–2503
  3. Sosa E, Scanavacca M, D'Avila A, et al. Endocardial and epicardial ablation guided by nonsurgical transthoracic epicardial mapping to treat recurrent ventricular tachycardia. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 1998;9:229–239
  4. Sanchez-Quintana D, Cabrera JA, Climent V, et al. How close are the phrenic nerves to cardiac structures? Implications for cardiac interventionalists. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2005;16:309–313
  5. Fan R, Cano O, Ho SY, et al. Characterization of the phrenic nerve course within the epicardial substrate of patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachycardia. Heart Rhythm. 2009;6:59–64
  6. Buch E, Vaseghi M, Cesario DA, et al. A novel method for preventing phrenic nerve injury during catheter ablation. Heart Rhythm. 2007;4:95–98
  7. Matsuo S, Jaïs P, Knecht S, et al. Images in cardiovascular medicine (Novel technique to prevent left phrenic nerve injury during epicardial catheter ablation). Circulation. 2008;117:e471
  8. Wu M, He X, Yang G. Spontaneous tension hydropneumopericardium complicating serofibrinous pericarditis. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2006;29:422–424
  9. Aidala E, Valori A, Abbruzzese PA. Postoperative hydropneumopericardium. Heart. 2004;90:1058
  10. Sharma A, Agrawal S, Gupta M. Evolving pneumopericardium. Heart. 2007;93:738
  11. Dib C, Kapa S, Powell BD, et al. Successful use of “cryo-mapping” to avoid phrenic nerve damage during ostial superior vena caval ablation despite nerve proximity. J Interv Card Electrophysiol. 2008;22:23–30

PII: S1547-5271(09)00297-5

doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2009.03.022

Heart Rhythm
Volume 6, Issue 7 , Pages 957-961 , July 2009

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