The clinical recommendation for the duration of radiofrequency (RF) delivery has been based on research using a no fluid study design. Because pre-injecting specific fluids differentially increases RF lesion size relative to no fluid, we suspected pre-injecting the same compositions might differentially influence the growth of the lesion over a set time cycle. The purpose of this study was to determine if pre-injecting fluids of different compositions alters the relationship between duration of RF and lesion size. Monopolar RF lesioning was performed in ex-vivo chicken samples either without fluid pre-injection or with fluid pre-injection. Nine pre-injected fluid groups were examined. Lesion parameters were measured in millimeters at 10 second intervals. The overall surface area and efficiency index (surface area/lesion time) were calculated. When all fluid groups were considered together, the largest surface area of the lesion occurred at 180 seconds, and this was significantly larger than all other time points examined (Figure 1; p=0.007). The rate of change in lesion size differed between the fluid groups. Increasing the NaCl concentration to 0.7% and above (p<0.001) resulted in an improvement in the mean lesion cycle efficiency index by 102% to 252%.The pre-injection of specific fluids alters the time required to achieve maximum lesion size. Furthermore, the pre-injection of specific fluids improves the efficiency index, allowing the ablation of a defined area in a shorter period of time.

Effects of the pre-injection of fluid on time to optimal lesion with monopolar radiofrequency

247th National Meeting (2014)

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