New RF balloon catheter eliminates need for PVI touch-ups.

[www.remtecsearch.com]

Not new news admittedly, but I’m nonetheless wondering whether or not Natale or any other top EPs in the US are taking a hard look at this?? If not, why not?

My memory is fuzzy on this but I believe Natale has panned the device as too crude of an instrument. It's basically like doing a cryo using RF instead of cold.

Thanks Carey - I must say I'd wondered about that myself. Intrinsically compromised by it's 'one-size-fits-all' approach when everyone's atrial anatomy (particularly the PVs) is different. Here in the UK on the NHS one invariably gets the cryo-balloon not RF - the reason being the CB is faster (cheaper) and needs less operator experience (more EPs can use it). I looked at going NHS and privately locally at Leeds here in England and the choice was one of the top EP's team using cryo on the NHS or the top EP himself using RF if one paid privately. As private for me was the only way to go (I've been around these parts to know that operator experience is KING), might as well spend a bit more and go to Bordeaux was and is my conclusion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2018 03:42AM by mwcf.

In the NHS what do they do if cryo isn't enough? I.e., if other parts need ablating?

Quote
Carey
My memory is fuzzy on this but I believe Natale has panned the device as too crude of an instrument. It's basically like doing a cryo using RF instead of cold.

I beleive you are correct.

When I first spoke to Shannon ealier this year we discussed the many short commings of Cryo ablation as that is what I had had done in January. I will say that the touch up that was done in January was solid but having seen the mapping of my heart before and after that particular ablation there was not really that much to actually touch up. My Ablation report from Dr. Natale also states that there was no PVI activity.