Under construction – not a live service
Sign in
Taking people in FranceNo phase

Testing a catheter to treat the Marshall vein during atrial fibrillation ablation

Tests a catheter that delivers alcohol to the Marshall vein in adults with atrial fibrillation.

Key facts

Who runs it
University Hospital, Bordeaux
Where
Pessac, FranceSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Feasibility of Ethanolization of Vein of Marshall With Specific Catheter in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
40 people, planned
Started
9 May 2022
Expected to end
30 May 2027
Type of study
Interventional
Treatments tested
  • Marshall ethanolisation
Record updated
17 June 2025

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults who need a catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation that keeps coming back (persistent) or returns after an earlier procedure. It tests a special catheter for the vein of Marshall.

Age
Over 18 years
Sex
Men and women can join.
Disease stage
Symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation, or a repeat procedure for persistent atrial fibrillation, or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with isolated pulmonary veins and no earlier ethanol infusion in the vein of Marshall.
Earlier treatment
No earlier ethanol infusion in the vein of Marshall.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Blood clot in the left atrium, or another problem that blocks catheter insertion
  • Cannot take blood-thinning medicines
  • Allergy to iodine contrast (XENETIX®) or to ethanol
  • Unstable angina, ongoing heart ischaemia, or heart attack in the last 3 months
  • Pregnant or nursing women

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 20 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Suitable candidate for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation defined as:; history of symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation; Redo procedure for persistent AF or paroxysmal AF with isolated PV and no history of ethanol infusion in the VOM
  • Age > 18 years of both genders
  • Patient affiliated or beneficiary of social security scheme
  • Free, informed and written consent signed by the participant and the principal investigator (at least at the inclusion date and before all exams required for the clinical research)
  • Effective contraception for women of childbearing potential

Who cannot take part

  • Contraindication to anticoagulation therapy (heparin, warfarin, or novel oral anticoagulant [NOAC]
  • Myocardial infarction within 3 months prior to inclusion
  • Contraindication to iodinated contrast product XENETIX® (iobitridol hypersensivity or at one of these excipients, history of major immediate reaction or cutaneous reaction to XENETIX® infusion, thyrotoxicosis)
  • Hypersensitivity to ethanol
  • Unstable angina or ongoing myocardial ischemia
  • Congenital heart disease, where the underlying abnormality increases the ablation risk
  • Severe bleeding, clotting or thrombotic disorder
  • Patient under psychiatric care
  • Minor
  • Documented left atrial thrombus or another abnormality which precludes catheter introduction
  • Pregnant, parturient or nursing women
  • Unable or unwilling to provide written informed consent
  • Patient detained by judicial or administrative order
  • Patient admitted in a social or healthcare establishment for any purpose other than the research
  • Subject to a legal protection order (guardianship, patient under legal protection)

Where in France

  • CHU de BordeauxPessac, FranceContact: Nicolas DervalTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

In patients with persistent AF (PsAF), ablation limited to pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is the most straightforward approach, but results only in 50% of arrhythmia freedom at 1 year follow-up. Substrate modification strategies have failed to demonstrate their superiority with variable reported success rate. The Marshall network is a highly arrhythmogenic structure that has not been systematically targeted so far, probably because of the absence of dedicated tools to make its ablation simple and easy. We sought to investigate the use of a specific catheter for visualization and ethanolization of vein of Marshall allowing to systematically include this target in the ablation set.

Read full original descriptionShow less

The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility to use the Targeted Endovascular Delivery (TED) catheter specifically for visualization and ethanolization of vein of Marshall.

The group in the trial

  • Marshall ethanolisation with specific catheterTreatment being tested

    Patients will undergo the destruction of Marshall bundles by ethanol infusion with the specific catheter

    Treatment: Marshall ethanolisation

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Prospective Single-centre Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of Ethanolization of Vein of Marshall With a Specific Catheter in the Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
Plain-language title
Testing a catheter to treat the Marshall vein during atrial fibrillation ablationGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Record updated
17 June 2025