ABSTRACT 37

THE SALINE IRIGATED COOLED TIP RADIOFREQUNECY ABLATION (SICTRA) IS AN EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE TO PERFORM THE MAZE PROCEDURE.

Krishna Khargi, Thomas Deneke, Bernd Lemke, Axel Laczkovics. Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiology. University Hospital Bochum, Germany.

The effectiveness of the SICTRA to produce linear intra-atrial lesions was evaluated.

Methods: thirty patients (Pts) with chronic atrial fibrillation and mitral valve disease were consecutively randomized to have mitral valve surgery either with a Maze procedure (group A) or without (group B). Intra-atrial linear lesions were made with an SICTRA catheter (30-35 Watt; 300 ml/hour saline). An echocardiography and 24-hour electrocadiogram were obtained 9 months postoperatively.

Results: the cumulative frequencies of sinus rhythm in group A and B were 0.80 and 0.27 (p<0.01). Restored biatrial contraction was present in 70% of the group A patients in SR. One Pt of each group received a permanent pacemaker because of a bradycardia. A fatal renal bleeding and mediastinitis occurred in 2 group A pts, 6 weeks postoperatively. One group A patient suffered from a sudden cardiac death at home, 3 months after operation. One Pt of each group had a lethal respiratory failure, 7 months after operation.

Conclusion: the SICTRA is an effective method to perform the Maze procedure.