Keywords: atrial fibrillation, radiofrequency, bipolar radiofrequency, bidirectional bipolar radiofrequency

"Bipolar biparietal bidirectional application of radiofrequency in experimental in vitro/in vivo environment"

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, and it affects around 3% of the population over the age of 20 years worldwide. It is caused by disorganized activation of the atria, causing impairment of atria and ventricular hemodynamic performance and correlating to dramatic consequences as stroke (fivefold increased). People affected by AF experience symptoms that may significantly influence their quality of life as insomnia, palpitations, shortness of breath, tiredness, weakness, and psychological distress. Despite the advanced progress of either pharmacological or surgical treatment in the last decade, there is the need for newer approaches, especially in those chronic AF forms where the current treatments are not satisfactory. The present thesis explores a different possible approach in applying radiofrequency, broadly used in the treatment of AF, aiming to better exploit its physical characteristics to create long stable improvements in patients' quality of life.

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