IMAGING TECHNIQUE MAY REDUCE RISK OF INJURY DURING HEART PROCEDURE

A new imaging procedure could reduce the risk of esophageal injury to patients undergoing heart surgery to treat atrial fibrillation, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) announced Aug. 22, citing a recent study.

In a study published in the September 2006 edition of Heart Rhythm, researchers used intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) to provide real-time imaging of the esophagus during ablation -- a procedure that involves inserting catheters into a blood vessel, generally through the groin or neck, to destroy tissue containing electrical "short circuits" that cause irregular heartbeats. Those irregular heart rhythms can significantly increase the risk for congestive heart failure and stroke, the HRS said.

The study involved 152 patients who underwent left atrial ablation, and is the first study using ICE to monitor lesions -- known as atrio-esophageal fistulas -- on the posterior wall of the heart's left atrium, the HRS said.