Abstract
Background
Catheter ablation has become the first line of therapy in patients with symptomatic, recurrent, drug-refractory atrial fibrillation. Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation is still the standard approach in these patients. However, the results are not very favourable and more complex ablation strategies are the subject of current controversy. Therefore, we have evaluated the effect of an additional linear lesion at the roof of the left atrium on the long-term outcome.
Methods
A total of 240 patients (125 men, 115 women; mean age 70 years (SD ± 15 years)) with symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation underwent a circumferential pulmonary vein ablation procedure in combination with an additional linear lesion at the roof of the left atrium (group A). After discharge, patients were scheduled for repeated visits at the arrhythmia clinic at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 102 and 108 months after the ablation procedure. The long-term follow-up data was compared to 240 patients who underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ablation without an additional linear lesion at the roof of the left atrium (group B).
Results
The ablation procedure could be performed as planned in all patients. Fifty-five out of 240 patients (22.9%) in group A and 58 out of 240 patients (24.2%) in group B experienced an arrhythmia recurrence within the first 3 months after ablation requiring an electrical cardioversion. At 108-month follow-up, analysis of a 168-hour ECG recording revealed no evidence for an arrhythmia recurrence in 135/240 patients (56.3%) in group A and in 111/220 patients (46.3%) in group B. In 73/240 patients (30.4%) in group A and 66/240 patients (27.5%) in group B, only short episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were documented. In 32 patients (13.3%) in group A, a recurrence of persistent atrial fibrillation (>48 hours) was revealed by the long-term recordings (group B: 63 patients (26.2%)). The lower arrhythmia recurrence rate in group A was partially due to a lower incidence of atypical atrial flutter after catheter ablation. The rate of repeat ablation procedures was significantly lower in group A than in group B. There were no major complications.
Conclusions
Catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation comprising a circumferential pulmonary vein ablation and an additional linear lesion at the roof of the left atrium provides more favourable results than circumferential pulmonary vein ablation alone. The effect is more pronounced during long-term than during short-term follow-up.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding source: None
Linear Cryoablation of the Left Atrium Versus Pulmonary Vein Cryoisolation in Patients With Permanent Atrial Fibrillation and Valvular Heart Disease