Oesophageal Pacing to check left atrial posterior wall isolation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Oesophageal Pacing to check left atrial posterior wall isolation: A Pilot study
IRAS ID
199171
Contact name
Guy Haywood
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a common condition that affects the electrical and mechanical function of the upper chambers of the heart – the left and right atria. Whereas in the normally functioning heart, the rhythmic electrical impulses leading to each contraction arise from the sinus node, in AF, chaotic electrical activity takes over. This leads to a lack of synchronized contraction of the atria and an irregular pulse. Symptoms vary widely, ranging from none at all to being a highly debilitating condition leading to multiple hospital admissions.
Treatment for AF involves electrical isolation of the left atrial posterior wall (the back wall of the top left chamber of the heart) and can be done via catheter (a wire that can sense + delivery energy) passed up from the groin to the heart or by keyhole surgery through the chest wall.
To check the success of the ablation to the posterior wall of the left atrium (LAPW) a catheter must be placed inside the heart against the LAPW. This is a common procedure that requires X-ray guidance and carries small but significant risks of stroke and death as the left atrium is accessed by puncturing the intra-atrial septum (muscle between the right and left atrium).
The oesophagus lies behind the heart and we propose to study whether a pacing catheter passed via the nose of mouth to the oesophagus could be used to check the success of LAPW ablation. This technique would be quicker and lower risk as the heart would not need to be accessed directly and if it could be incorporated into standard practice significant safety and cost savings could be made.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0039
Date of REC Opinion
3 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion