The Role of Three-dimensional Rotational Angiography in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging became the cornerstone of catheter guidance in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures during the last few years. Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been the technologies of choice for pre-procedural imaging of the left atrium (LA) and the pulmonary veins to make lesions more precisely set in a highly variable and difficult to understand 3D environment. These technologies have been used not only for pre-procedural orientation but have also been overlayed to fluoroscopic views in many fluoroscopy-guided ablation procedures. As image integration into non-fluoroscopic 3D imaging systems became available, 3D reconstructions of MSCT and MRI became the standard approach in many centres. However, 3D imaging is not a cornerstone during ablation as it is not indispensable and ablation can be performed without. Although rare, some very important and key centres do not routinely use 3D imaging during ablation. Being remote to the ablation procedure, these imaging technologies may have the disadvantage of not reflecting the current status of a variable LA volume and scheduling of an additional diagnostic procedure may complicate the workflow of AF ablation procedures. Intra- procedural imaging techniques are likely to overcome both issues. Beside others, rotational angiography has been introduced for proving highly actual imaging by intra-procedural acquisition of 3D shells suitable for overlay to fluoroscopy without need for registration and image integration into 3D mapping systems registered by point-by-point electroanatomical mapping or 3D echocardiographic imaging.