The emerging role of epicardial ablation

Sosa and colleagues first described a percutaneous approach (via the subxiphoid area) to access the pericardial space in 1996. Epicardial mapping and ablation is increasingly used for the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias and represents an adjunctive approach for challenging arrhythmias to improve procedural success rates. Epicardial ablation should be considered not only after the failure of an endocardial ablation but often as a first-line approach. Complications may occur during percutaneous access and epicardial ablation, and these might be reduced or avoided by improved operator skills and experience. New tools to access the epicardial space are being evaluated.