CATHETER ABLATION OF ATRIAL-FLUTTER USING RADIOFREQUENCY ENERGY

Sixteen patients' with type I atrial flutter underwent an attempt at r adiofrequency catheter able tion (8 women, 8 men? mean age 53 +/- 11 y ears). The primary criterion used to identify sites for radiofrequency energy delivery was the identification tion of a fractionated electro gram. Radiofrequency energy was delivered for 20 to 30 seconds. Radiof requency catheter ablation was acutely successful in 13 patients and u nsuccessful in 3. During a mean follow-up of 10 +/- 4 months, 9 of 13 patients with a successful acute result (69%) remained free of recurre nt atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation. The ability to induce noncli nical types of atrial flutter was associated with an unsuccessful outc ome. a greater proportion of electrograms recorded at successful sites demonstrated electrogram gram stability compared with unsuccessful ab le tion sites. None of the electrograms recorded at successful ablatio n sites were fractionated or had a double potential. This study demons trates that radiofrequency catheter ablation of type I atrial flutter can be achieved safely.