Abstract
Catheter ablation of tachyarrhythmias without the use of fluoroscopy is, at present, performed only in a minority of laboratories. While the tools exist to allow fluoroless procedures in most instances, experience is lacking. While the learning curve will require time, and may slow the productivity of the lab down for a while, the benefits to both the patients and the staff are worth the investment. If one visits an experienced lab doing fluoroless procedures, they will recognize that, not only is the risk of radiation decreased, but also the comfort level of the staff is increased by the absence of lead protective gear. It is the authors’ personal observation that elimination of lead aprons has been the number one motivation to obtain staff buy-in, making them willing to endure the learning curve. This chapter reviews the experiences of multiple labs, and their approach to overcoming the hurdles of radiation elimination. Hopefully, the reader will find sufficient references to make their own learning curve as smooth as possible.
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Bigelow, A.M., Clark, J.M. (2019). Learning Curve of Zero Fluoroscopy. In: Proietti, R., Wang, Y., Yao, Y., Zhong, G., Lin Wu, S., Ayala-Paredes, F. (eds) Cardiac Electrophysiology Without Fluoroscopy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16992-3_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16992-3_6
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