Esophageal injury still occurs with high frequency during ablation of
atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study is to provide a
review of methods to protect the esophagus from injury during AF
ablation. Despite advances in imaging and ablation, the potential risk
of esophageal injury during AF ablation remains an important concern
with a high occurrence of esophageal injury (≈15%). There have been
numerous studies evaluating varied techniques for esophageal protection
including active cooling and displacement of the esophagus. These
techniques are reviewed in this manuscript as well as the role of
esophageal protection in managing patients undergoing AF ablation
procedure.
Role of Intracardiac Defibrillation During the Ablation Procedure as a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Catheter Ablation
