Multielectrode Pulmonary Vein Ablation Catheter (PVAC(®)): current data on results and risks

Electrical isolation of pulmonary veins is the cornerstone of catheter ablation for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. However, uncertainty surrounds the choice of energy source in pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Various alternative techniques such as the Pulmonary Vein Ablation Catheter (PVAC(®), Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) have been developed to facilitate PVI. This over-the-wire multielectrode catheter is delivering duty-cycled bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency (RF) energy at relatively low power.PVI with this "one-shot" PVACatheter can shorten the procedure duration and lower fluoroscopy time compared to irrigated RF. It enables mapping and ablation with the same array, but fails to show signals during RF energy delivery. The effectiveness of PVAC is comparable to other technologies in randomized studies. The overall complication rate of PVAC PVI is comparable to irrigated RF and possibly slightly higher for cryoballoon PVI. Special attention has to be paid to an effective anticoagulation throughout the ablation procedure, avoidance of embolic events and pulmonary venous stenosis.The novel catheter design of the PVAC Gold(®) array may improve safety by reducing embolic events through avoidance of electrode 1-to-10 interaction and by better tissue contact due to the 20° forward tilt. Although clinical data with this new array are lacking so far, the PVAC system has been shown to be a promising tool for PVI. However, prospective studies especially with the novel array are required to determine its true role for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in the future.