[An experimental study on the alteration of myocardial tissue by radiofrequency catheter ablation: differences...

To evaluate the alteration of myocardial tissue by radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation according to differences of the frequency and the device, we applied RF catheter ablation to canine right ventricular myocardium in vitro. The devices delivering RF energy were LL-49(0. 49MHz, fixed voltage mode), RA-50 (13.56MHz, fixed watt mode) and HAT200 (0.52MHz, fixed watt mode with the capability of temperature adjustment). After RF catheter ablation were performed with a unipolar electrode catheter at various output under the same condition of contact, the ablated lesions by each device were compared. Histologically, we recognized coagulation layer with the necrosis of endocardium and the dissociation of myocardium in each experiment. The degree and the size of ablation layer was significantly larger in lower frequency delivery (p less than 0.05) and was significantly smaller by using the device with temperature adjustment as compared with the others (p less than 0.05). It was suggested that the alteration of myocardial tissue ablated with RF energy differ according to the frequency and the mode of output adjustment of the device.