Device Helps Prevent Complication During Common Heart Procedure

For some with AFib, a catheter ablation is used to burn or freeze the precise area causing the problem to restore a normal heart rhythm. While this method is effective, the energy from the catheter tip can cause serious damage to the adjacent esophagus, which is only a few millimeters away. It’s an injury that can be life threatening, so an electrophysiologist has helped develop a new device that gently diverts the esophagus out of harm’s way, greatly improving safety.

Pulling in the esophagus using suction force and then moving the entire segment to the side by about an inch creates a safe pathway to deliver the energy to treat AFib. A clinical trial found that without the device, over a third of heart ablation patients had esophageal injuries, but when the new device was used, less than 5 percent of patients had any injury to the esophagus, and they were much less severe than the control group.

There have been attempts to protect the esophagus during heart ablations in the past using different techniques like measuring the temperature inside the esophagus, using ultrasound imaging to identify where it’s located, and using shorter or less intense ablation energy, but esophageal injury continued to be a serious problem. The researchers say this device ensures that patients are getting the safest procedure possible without compromising any benefits to their heart. (Image credit: The Ohio State University)

For more information, visit here .