Virtual Catheter Ablation of Target Areas Identified from Image-Based Models of Atrial Fibrillation

Catheter Ablation (CA) is an effective strategy for rhythm control in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, success rate remains suboptimal in chronic AF patients, where targets for optimal ablation are unknown. Recent clinical evidence suggests an association of atrial fibrosis with locations of re-entrant drivers (RDs) sustaining AF. However, the knowledge of optimal ablation locations based on patient-specific fibrosis distribution is lacking. The aim of this study is to provide a proof-of-concept method to (1) predict patient-specific ablation targets from 3D models of fibrotic atria and (2) perform virtual ablation.