Contact force facilitates the achievement of an unexcitable ablation line during pulmonary vein isolation

Aims Contact force (CF) catheters provide catheter-tissue contact information to improve outcome of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). We evaluated different target-CF values for achievement of the additional endpoint of an unexcitable ablation line. Methods A total of 106 patients undergoing PVI were randomized into three groups (G) (G1: target-CF 15 g, G2: target-CF 10 g, G3: CF concealed from operator). The PVI encircling line was divided into predefined sections. Excitable tissue along the PVI-line identified by high output pacing (10 V, 2 ms) was targeted for further ablation. Results Mean average CF was 17.4 +/- 4.7 g (G1) vs. 12.3 +/- 6.0 g (G2) vs. 11.1 +/- 6.5 g (G 3) (p < 0.001). Primary unexcitable ablation lines were found in 38.6, 19.4 and 5.7% (G1, G2, G3 respectively; G1 vs. G2 p < 0.05, G1 vs. G3 p < 0.001, G2 vs. G3 ns). Additional radiofrequency (RF)-energy to achieve unexcitability was lowest in G1 (3.6 +/- 3.1 kJ vs. 8.6 +/- 7.2 kJ (G2) and 10.4 +/- 6.7 (G3), p <= 0.001, G2 vs. G3 ns) with accordingly lowest additional RF applications in G1 (3.0 +/- 2.6 vs. 7.0 +/- 5.4 in G2 and 8.4 +/- 4.0 in G3; G1 vs. G2 and G3, p < 0.001, G 2 vs. G 3 ns). Sections along ablation lines with low initial CF were most likely to reveal excitability. Single procedure success was 81.9 vs. 73.5 vs. 71.4% (G 1, 2 and 3, p = 0.6) during 437 +/- 254 day follow-up. Conclusion Higher tip-to-tissue CF during PVI facilitates the achievement of an unexcitable ablation line, requiring less additional RF-energy.