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Esophageal Cooling in Radiofrequency Cardiac Ablation

Esophageal Cooling in Radiofrequency Cardiac Ablation: Pilot Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03481023
Enrollment
6
Registered
2018-03-29
Start date
2018-03-16
Completion date
2018-12-20
Last updated
2024-02-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Atrial Fibrillation

Keywords

Atrial Fibrillation, Esophageal Cooling Device, Radiofrequency Ablation, Arrhythmia

Brief summary

This pilot study evaluates the addition of the EnsoETM esophageal cooling device to the radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in adults. Half of participants will receive the EnsoETM in addition to RF ablation, while the other half will receive luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring during RF ablation.

Detailed description

Study Specific Procedures: * Study specific imaging will include endoscopic evaluation of the esophagus one day before surgery at the time of the pre-op Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) and again 1-day post-op. This will include endoscopic esophageal intubation with visual assessment of the entire esophagus and grading of lesions. Coupled with this procedure will include endoscopic ultrasound assessment of the esophagus at the level of the left atrium with specific attention to the sub-mucosal layer that separates esophagus from the cardiac tissue. The patient will undergo moderate sedation during this procedure, which will accompany the TEE. * The Esophageal Cooling Device (ECD) will be placed by trained study staff following endotracheal intubation. Proper positioning will be verified. A temperature probe will be placed to verify the patients core temperature. The target temperature will be set to the core temperature at the beginning of the procedure. Two minutes prior to ablation on the posterior wall the target temperature will be changed to the minimum temperature setting which will allow for maximal cooling. Cooling will take place throughout the duration of posterior wall ablation. After ablation in this territory is complete the target temperature will return to the patients core temperature. The device will be removed at the completion of the procedure by anesthesiology when there is no further need for an orogastric tube. * LET monitoring will not be performed in the patients of the intervention group as the ECD is prohibitive. Therefore, ice lavage of the esophagus, as detailed below, will not be performed in this group. Standard Care Procedures: * Medical History will be obtained by interview and will involve identification of contraindications to the use of the ECD. This includes a history of esophageal perforation or varices. An allergy to silicone will be assessed. * The patient's active medication list will be reviewed as is standard protocol for atrial fibrillation ablation, but this is not specific to the study as there are no medications that would impact the use of the ECD. * All subjects will be on Protonix (40mg; twice daily) immediately following surgery for 30 days and anticoagulation for 3 months following surgery. * The physical exam will be performed. Study specific exam is included as part of the airway assessment which is performed on a regular basis by anesthesiology. The oropharynx will be assessed prior to placement of the ECD. * Radiofrequency ablation involving the posterior aspect of the left atrium will be performed with standard LET monitoring which may include intermittent boluses of iced lavaged saline through the nasogastric tube when the temperature rises above 1 degree centigrade. Termination of atrial fibrillation with provocation testing will be completed and further atrial tachyarrhythmia ablation will be carried out as indicated. * The patient will follow-up in the office based on standard procedure with 10 day and 3 month follow-up to be scheduled.

Interventions

DEVICEEnsoETM

Use of esophageal thermal regulation device during radiofrequency ablation.

PROCEDUREConventional Care

Use of luminal esophageal temperature monitoring during radiofrequency ablation procedure.

Sponsors

Attune Medical
CollaboratorOTHER
Riverside Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Participants will be blinded to which condition they were assigned; the Outcomes Assessor will be blinded to the hypotheses of the study as well as the condition to which the participant was assigned.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Subject has an atrial arrhythmia requiring radiofrequency ablation on the posterior aspect of the heart. * Subject is willing and able to provide informed consent. * Subject is capable of adhering to the expectations of the study protocol (e.g., attending follow-up visit).

Exclusion criteria

* Subject has known esophageal deformity, or evidence of esophageal trauma. * Subject has prior radiation therapy involving the esophagus. * Subject has a history of esophageal disease (e.g., esophageal varices, cirrhosis, history of esophagectomy, previous swallowing disorders, or achalasia). * Subject has ingested acidic or caustic poisons. * Subject is incarcerated. * Subject is pregnant or plans to become pregnant. * Subject has a silicone allergy. * Subject has esophageal bleeding prior to surgical procedure.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Esophageal Mucosal DamageThe post-intervention outcome measure was performed within 1 day after Pulmonary Vein Isolation.Esophageal mucosal damage as assessed by endoscopic evaluation using Zagar's Modified Endoscopic Classification Scheme. Higher scores on this scale indicate a worse outcome. The grading system is as follows: Grade 0: Normal Examination; Grade 1: Edema and Hypermia of the Mucosa; Grade 2a: Superficial ulceration, erosions, friability, blisters, exudates, hemorrhages, whitish membranes; Grade 2b: Grade 2a pluse deep discrete or circumferential ulcerations; Grade 3a: Small scattered areas of multiple ulceration and areas of necrosis with brown-black or greyish discoloration; Grade 3b: Extensive necrosis. For this grading scale we used the following scoring: 0=0 1=1 2a=2 2b=3 3a=4 3b=5

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number and Percentage of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Adverse Events]3 months
Presence of Esophageal Submucosal Damage, Indicated by Number of Ulcers as Assessed by Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)1 dayAltered submucosal tissue architecture as assessed by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Pre-assignment details

No washout or run-in occurred after participants were enrolled in the study. Of the 7 patients that were recruited, one subject was excluded from the research study, because his BMI was outside of the study inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Esophageal Thermal Regulation Device
EnsoETM: Use of esophageal thermal regulation device during radiofrequency ablation.
3
LET Monitoring
Conventional Care: Use of luminal esophageal temperature monitoring during radiofrequency ablation procedure.
3
Total6

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicTotalLET MonitoringEsophageal Thermal Regulation Device
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
3 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
3 Participants2 Participants1 Participants
Age, Continuous63 years61.3 years64.7 years
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
6 Participants3 Participants3 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
1 Participants1 Participants0 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
5 Participants2 Participants3 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 30 / 3
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 30 / 3
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 30 / 3

Outcome results

Primary

Esophageal Mucosal Damage

Esophageal mucosal damage as assessed by endoscopic evaluation using Zagar's Modified Endoscopic Classification Scheme. Higher scores on this scale indicate a worse outcome. The grading system is as follows: Grade 0: Normal Examination; Grade 1: Edema and Hypermia of the Mucosa; Grade 2a: Superficial ulceration, erosions, friability, blisters, exudates, hemorrhages, whitish membranes; Grade 2b: Grade 2a pluse deep discrete or circumferential ulcerations; Grade 3a: Small scattered areas of multiple ulceration and areas of necrosis with brown-black or greyish discoloration; Grade 3b: Extensive necrosis. For this grading scale we used the following scoring: 0=0 1=1 2a=2 2b=3 3a=4 3b=5

Time frame: The post-intervention outcome measure was performed within 1 day after Pulmonary Vein Isolation.

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
Esophageal Thermal Regulation DeviceEsophageal Mucosal Damage1 score on a scale
LET MonitoringEsophageal Mucosal Damage1.33333 score on a scale
Secondary

Number and Percentage of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Adverse Events]

Time frame: 3 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Esophageal Thermal Regulation DeviceNumber and Percentage of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Adverse Events]0 Participants
LET MonitoringNumber and Percentage of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Adverse Events]0 Participants
Secondary

Presence of Esophageal Submucosal Damage, Indicated by Number of Ulcers as Assessed by Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

Altered submucosal tissue architecture as assessed by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

Time frame: 1 day

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
Esophageal Thermal Regulation DevicePresence of Esophageal Submucosal Damage, Indicated by Number of Ulcers as Assessed by Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS).33 Ulcers
LET MonitoringPresence of Esophageal Submucosal Damage, Indicated by Number of Ulcers as Assessed by Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)1 Ulcers

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026