Biomaterial Database

Cryothermal ablation: mechanism of tissue injury and current experience in the treatment of tachyarrhythmias. 1999

D L Lustgarten, and D Keane, and J Ruskin

Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.

Cryosurgery has been an integral part of the surgical management of cardiac arrhythmias since the late 1970s. With the recent development of intravenous cryocatheters, the use of cryothermy in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias will increase in the near future. The following discussion includes a detailed consideration of the mode of tissue injury associated with cryothermy and a comprehensive review of cryosurgery in the management of a variety of cardiac arrhythmias. Cryosurgical management of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias has proven to be both safe and effective. Cryothermal tissue injury is distinguished from hyperthermic injury by the preservation of basic underlying tissue architecture and minimal thrombus formation. Such differences will be particularly important in settings requiring extensive lesion formation, such as catheter-based maze procedures for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D003452	Cryosurgery	The use of freezing as a special surgical technique to destroy or excise tissue.	Cryoablation,Cryoablations,Cryosurgeries
D004594	Electrophysiology	The study of the generation and behavior of electrical charges in living organisms particularly the nervous system and the effects of electricity on living organisms.
D006329	Heart Conduction System	An impulse-conducting system composed of modified cardiac muscle, having the power of spontaneous rhythmicity and conduction more highly developed than the rest of the heart.	Conduction System, Heart,Conduction Systems, Heart,Heart Conduction Systems,System, Heart Conduction,Systems, Heart Conduction
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001281	Atrial Fibrillation	Abnormal cardiac rhythm that is characterized by rapid, uncoordinated firing of electrical impulses in the upper chambers of the heart (HEART ATRIA). In such case, blood cannot be effectively pumped into the lower chambers of the heart (HEART VENTRICLES). It is caused by abnormal impulse generation.	Auricular Fibrillation,Familial Atrial Fibrillation,Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation,Persistent Atrial Fibrillation,Atrial Fibrillation, Familial,Atrial Fibrillation, Paroxysmal,Atrial Fibrillation, Persistent,Atrial Fibrillations,Atrial Fibrillations, Familial,Atrial Fibrillations, Paroxysmal,Atrial Fibrillations, Persistent,Auricular Fibrillations,Familial Atrial Fibrillations,Fibrillation, Atrial,Fibrillation, Auricular,Fibrillation, Familial Atrial,Fibrillation, Paroxysmal Atrial,Fibrillation, Persistent Atrial,Fibrillations, Atrial,Fibrillations, Auricular,Fibrillations, Familial Atrial,Fibrillations, Paroxysmal Atrial,Fibrillations, Persistent Atrial,Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillations,Persistent Atrial Fibrillations
D013610	Tachycardia	Abnormally rapid heartbeat, usually with a HEART RATE above 100 beats per minute for adults. Tachycardia accompanied by disturbance in the cardiac depolarization (cardiac arrhythmia) is called tachyarrhythmia.	Tachyarrhythmia,Tachyarrhythmias,Tachycardias
D013617	Tachycardia, Supraventricular	A generic expression for any tachycardia that originates above the BUNDLE OF HIS.	Supraventricular Tachycardia,Supraventricular Tachycardias,Tachycardias, Supraventricular
D017115	Catheter Ablation	Removal of tissue with electrical current delivered via electrodes positioned at the distal end of a catheter. Energy sources are commonly direct current (DC-shock) or alternating current at radiofrequencies (usually 750 kHz). The technique is used most often to ablate the AV junction and/or accessory pathways in order to interrupt AV conduction and produce AV block in the treatment of various tachyarrhythmias.	Ablation, Transvenous Electric,Catheter Ablation, Electric,Catheter Ablation, Percutaneous,Catheter Ablation, Radiofrequency,Catheter Ablation, Transvenous,Ablation, Catheter,Ablation, Transvenous Electrical,Catheter Ablation, Electrical,Electric Catheter Ablation,Electrical Catheter Ablation,Percutaneous Catheter Ablation,Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation,Transvenous Catheter Ablation,Ablation, Electric Catheter,Ablation, Electrical Catheter,Ablation, Percutaneous Catheter,Ablation, Radiofrequency Catheter,Ablation, Transvenous Catheter,Electric Ablation, Transvenous,Electrical Ablation, Transvenous,Transvenous Electric Ablation,Transvenous Electrical Ablation
D017180	Tachycardia, Ventricular	An abnormally rapid ventricular rhythm usually in excess of 150 beats per minute. It is generated within the ventricle below the BUNDLE OF HIS, either as autonomic impulse formation or reentrant impulse conduction. Depending on the etiology, onset of ventricular tachycardia can be paroxysmal (sudden) or nonparoxysmal, its wide QRS complexes can be uniform or polymorphic, and the ventricular beating may be independent of the atrial beating (AV dissociation).	Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardia,Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia,Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia,Ventricular Tachyarrhythmias,Ventricular Tachycardia,Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardias,Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardias,Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardias,Supraventricular Tachycardia, Paroxysmal,Tachyarrhythmia, Ventricular,Tachycardia, Idiopathic Ventricular,Tachycardia, Nonsustained Ventricular,Tachycardia, Paroxysmal Supraventricular,Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia,Ventricular Tachycardia, Idiopathic,Ventricular Tachycardia, Nonsustained,Ventricular Tachycardias