Factors influencing lesion formation during radiofrequency catheter ablation

In radiofrequency (RF) ablation, the heating of cardiac tissue is mainly resistive. RF current heats cardiac tissue and in turn the catheter electrode is being heated. Consequently, the catheter tip temperature is always lower--or ideally equal--than the superficial tissue temperature. The lesion size is influenced by many parameters such as delivered RF power, electrode length, electrode orientation, blood flow and tissue contact. This review describes the influence of these different parameters on lesion formation and provides recommendations for different catheter types on selectable parameters such as target temperatures, power limits and RF durations.