TIPS of Catheter ablation for radiation reduction

Chairperson Masaomi Kimura (Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine)
Invited overseas doctor (TBA)

Traditionally, fluoroscopy has been the primary tool for visualizing catheter position. However, radiation is often ignored by physicians since it is invisible, and the long-term risks are underestimated. Regarding delayed adverse events, it must be emphasized that radiation exposure has various potentially harmful effects, such as malignancies and genetic disease, both to patients and physicians. Latest 3-dimensional mapping and force-sensing catheter technologies offer multiple options for minimizing fluoroscopy use. However, awareness of the importance of radiation reduction in addition to technological advancement is crucial. For this reason, every electrophysiologist should be aware of the problem and should learn how to decrease radiation exposure. Recently, there have been several reports on zero or near-zero fluoroscopy ablation with similar procedure duration and success rate, long-term success rate, complication rate, recurrence rates. In this symposium, we aim to suggest practical instructions for how to reduce radiation dosage during ablation procedures.