Ablation Procedures and Techniques Flashcards

Which serious complication is uniquely associated with transseptal puncture for left-sided EP procedures?

Answer: Cardiac tamponade from aortic or atrial perforation

Transseptal puncture to access the left atrium carries risk of cardiac tamponade if the needle inadvertently perforates the aorta, atrial free wall, or pericardium.

What is the primary purpose of electroanatomic mapping systems in catheter ablation?

Answer: To create 3D maps integrating anatomical and electrical activation data

Electroanatomic mapping systems create three-dimensional maps combining chamber anatomy and electrical activation to guide catheter positioning and ablation targeting.

Contact force sensing catheters improve ablation outcomes by?

Answer: Measuring the force applied between catheter tip and tissue

Contact force sensing directly measures the mechanical force applied to cardiac tissue, enabling more consistent lesion formation and reducing perforation risk.

During VT ablation, substrate mapping primarily identifies?

Answer: Low-voltage scar areas harboring abnormal electrograms that sustain VT

Substrate mapping identifies low-voltage scar tissue and late/fragmented electrograms that form the critical conducting channels sustaining ventricular tachycardia circuits.

The primary purpose of open-irrigated tip catheters in RF ablation is?

Answer: To allow larger, deeper lesions by preventing surface char formation

Saline irrigation cools the catheter-tissue interface, preventing char and coagulum formation and allowing delivery of higher power to create larger, deeper lesions.

The risk of atrioesophageal fistula, a rare but potentially fatal complication, is most associated with?

Answer: Posterior left atrial ablation for atrial fibrillation

The esophagus lies directly behind the posterior left atrium, making it vulnerable to thermal injury during posterior wall ablation for atrial fibrillation.