Background: Cryoballoon ablation is safe and effective for pulmonary vein isolation in patients with symptomatic drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. To monitor adhesion between the balloon and the pulmonary vein, an alternative technique to pulmonary venography is to analyze changes in the pressure curve.
Methods: We have described the adhesion level characterized by four types of pressure waveforms.
Results: These correlated with the extent of contrast agent leakage (Cohen's kappa of 0.81 [IC 95%: 0.63-0.99]).
Conclusion: Monitoring the venous pressure curve is easy to perform and has the advantage of being able to detect balloon movement during the first few seconds of treatment.
Keywords: atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; cryotherapy; pulmonary vein; venography.
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Arrhythmia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Heart Rhythm Society.