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Atrial ablation with an IRK-151 infrared coagulator
H Kubota1, A Furuse, M Takeshita
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to develop a method of atrial ablation. In the IRK-151 infrared coagulator, light from a tungsten-halogen lamp is focused into a quartz rod. The distal exit plane is connected to a tip made of sapphire to allow linear ablation.
Methods:
Thirty-six lesions were created in 9 mongrel dogs. The beating ventricular myocardium was ablated from the epicardium. In each dog, 4 lesions were created by using the following durations of application: 3, 9, 15, and 21 seconds. After the ablation, the myocardium was fixed and stained. A linear lesion on the beating right atrial free wall was created. Before and after the ablation, epicardial plaque-electrode mapping was performed. Three months after ablation, remapping was performed.
Results:
The ablated myocardium had well-demarcated necrosis without carbonization or vaporization. The maximum depth was 10.3 +/- 0.8 mm. The conducting pathway was blocked. The block, once made, continued for 3 months.
Conclusions:
The IRK-151 produces well-demarcated lesions that were deep enough for atrial ablation to block the conducting pathway.