الفهرس 
Non- pharmacological treatments of arrhythmiasOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
High-resolution reformatted images from MDCT data provide accurate anatomical information for locating important landmarks relative to the cardiac conduction system and electrophysiological interventions that requires using of a common language in describing the cardiac anatomy as well as close interaction between radiologists and cardiologists.
CT of the pulmonary veins (PVs) can be used to guide the electrophysiologist by providing anatomical details non-invasively before the procedure, including the number, location, and size of pulmonary veins and its branching anomalies, also used to select the size of catheters for the procedure.
MDCT also can give excellent data about the left atrium volume and size as a pre assessment of RF ablation.
Preprocedural mapping has shown to reduce RF ablation procedure time.
Mapping also used for evaluation of pulmonary vein stenosis or thrombosis after the procedure.
Post procedural MDCT also used for evaluation of RF complication (e.g. pulmonary vein thrombosis, stenosis and dissection).
Understanding the relations between different scan parameters, which affect the quality of image, is the key in optimizing protocols that can reduce patient dose by wise and gentle use of MDCT with the strategies and the radiation dose with the (ALARA) concept which means as low as reasonably achievable.
With using the prospective ECG, triggering technique we can reduce the dose of radiation in comparison to the retrospective technique, which based on continues radiation through the whole study.
from a medical point of view, MDCT using scanners with at least 64 slices should be recommended as a diagnostic test in order to avoid inappropriate invasive coronary angiography.
Lastly, in summary what electrophysiologists need to know before AF ablation
1. Normal anatomy and anatomical variants of the pulmonary veins (PVs).
2. Ostial diameters of each vein and the distance to the first-order branch.
3. Presence of accessory or supernumerary pulmonary veins (PVs).
4. Dimensions of the left atrium (LA) and the presence of LAA thrombus.
5. Anatomical course of the esophagus relative to the posterior left atrial wall and pulmonary veins.
6. The Left Phrenic Nerve and Its Relation to Coronary Veins.
7. Coronary Sinus and Its Anatomic Variants.
8. The Ligament of Marshall and Persistent Left SVC.
9. The Cavo-tricuspid Isthmus (CTI).