BIOPHYSICAL AND ELECTRICAL ASPECTS OF RADIOFREQUENCY CATHETER ABLATION

Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation is becoming increasingly accepte d as the treatment of choice for definitive management of a variety of supraventricular arrhythmias in selected patients. Many interdependen t variables may affect the amount of tissue heating at the target site . Power controlled RF devices may fail to ablate the targeted tissue d ue to a mismatch between the actual resistance of the electrode-tissue interface and the internal resistance of the RF generator. Conclusion : the use of temperature controlled RF devices may optimize power deli very to the tissue and therefore facilitate radiofrequency catheter ab lation procedures.