Cryoballoon Ablation in Today's Practice: Can the Left Common Ostium Be Ablated and Injury to the Right Phrenic Nerve Avoided?

Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev. 2017 Dec;6(4):156-158. doi: 10.15420/aer.2017.6.4EO2.

Abstract

Cryoballoon ablation is rapidly gaining popularity among electrophysiologists in the setting of pulmonary vein isolation for the treatment of AF. The first part of the following review focuses on the feasibility and clinical outcome of this technique in patients exhibiting a left common ostium. In the second part, we discuss how to predict and prevent the most common complication related to cryoballoon ablation: right phrenic nerve palsy.

Keywords: Cryoballoon; left common ostium; phrenic nerve palsy; pulmonary vein isolation; second-generation cryoballoon.