Background
Contact force (CF) between the catheter tip and target tissue is a known determinant of lesion quality and therefore procedural success during catheter ablation. Complications related to catheter ablation can be due to the increased temperature and lesion size with increasing CF.1 Real time CF feedback is provided by the TactiCath radiofrequency (RF) ablation catheter (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) which allows operators to achieve optimal lesion size without excessive tissue damage and resulting complications. CF ablation catheters have been used for years in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in adult patients with evidence of more durable lesions resulting in decreased procedure times and better outcomes.2 However, this catheter has also been used increasingly in pediatric patients for different arrhythmias3, most commonly for reentrant supraventricular tachycardia, the outcomes for which have not been as extensively studied.
Children’s Wisconsin started using CF ablation techniques in June 2015 for catheter ablation of accessory pathways. The aim of this study was to complete a comprehensive chart review of patients who have undergone CF ablation and compare their procedure times, number of lesions, and outcomes with a historical control group of standard RF catheter ablation patients.