scholarly journals The Influence of Monitoring Strategy on Assessment of Ablation Success and Post-ablation Atrial Fibrillation Burden Assessment: Implications for Practice and Clinical Trial Design

Author(s):  
Martin Aguilar ◽  
Laurent Macle ◽  
Marc W. Deyell ◽  
Robert Yao ◽  
Nathaniel Hawkins ◽  
...  

Background: Various non-invasive intermittent rhythm monitoring strategies have been used to assess arrhythmia recurrences in trials of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We determined whether a frequency and duration of non-invasive rhythm monitoring could be identified that accurately detects arrhythmia recurrences and approximates the AF burden derived from continuous monitoring using an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM). Methods: The rhythm history of 346 patients enrolled in the CIRCA-DOSE trial was reconstructed. Using computer simulations, we evaluated event-free survival, sensitivity, negative predictive value, and AF burden of a range of non-invasive monitoring strategies, including those used in contemporary AF ablation trials. Results: A total of 126,290 monitoring days were included in the analysis. At 12 months, 164 patients experienced atrial arrhythmia recurrence as documented by the ICM (1-year event-free survival 52.6%). Most non-invasive monitoring strategies used in AF ablation trials had poor sensitivity for detecting arrhythmia recurrence. Sensitivity increased with the intensity of monitoring, with serial (3) short-duration monitors (24-/48-hour ECG monitors) missing a substantial proportion of recurrences (sensitivity 15.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.9-20.7%] and 24.5% [95% CI 16.2-30.6%], respectively). Serial longer-term monitors (14-day ECG monitors) more closely approximated the gold-standard ICM (sensitivity 64.6% [95% CI 53.6-74.3%]). AF burden derived from short-duration monitors significantly over-estimated the true AF burden in patients with recurrences. Increasing monitoring duration resulted in improved correlation and concordance between non-invasive estimates of the invasive AF burden (R2 = 0.85 and interclass correlation coefficient = 0.91 for serial [3] 14-day ECG monitors vs ICM). Conclusions: Detection of arrhythmia recurrence following ablation is highly sensitive to the monitoring strategy employed, between-trial discrepancies in outcomes may reflect different monitoring protocols. Based on measures of agreement, serial long-term (7-14 day) intermittent monitors accumulating at least 28 days of annual monitoring provide estimates of AF burden comparable to ICM. However, ICMs outperform intermittent monitoring for arrhythmia detection, and should be considered the gold standard for clinical trials.

EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Caldeira Da Rocha ◽  
R Carvalho ◽  
A Ferreira ◽  
T Rodrigues ◽  
G Silva ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Atrial Fibrillation (AF) ablation can be performed by inducing pulmonary vein electrical isolation. There are two widely used approaches: point-by-point and single-shot.  Catheter AF ablation is effective in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm. However, efficacy is limited by high rate of AF recurrence, after an initially successful procedure. Purpose To evaluate AF index ablation successfulness using single-shot techniques and compare them to conventional one (point-by-point using irrigated- tip ablation catheter). Methods We analyzed, from a single center, all patients submitted to an index AF ablation procedure and its successfulness. The last was defined as AF, atrial tachycardia or flutter recurrence (with a duration superior to 30seconds) event- free survival, determined by holter and/or event recorder. These exams were performed after 6 and 12months and then annually, until 5years post procedure were accomplished. Results From November 2004 to November 2020, 821patients were submitted to first AF ablation (male patients 67,2%(N = 552), mean age of 59 ± 12years old). Paroxysmal AF(PAF) was present in 62,9%(N = 516), with short-duration persistent AF in 21,8%(N = 179) and long-standing persistent in 15,3%(N = 126). Ablation techniques were irrigated tip catheter point-by-point (PbP)ablation in 266 patients (32,4%) and single-shot (SS)techniques on the remaining 555(67,6%), including PVAC in 294(35,8%),225(27,4%) submitted to cryoablation and 36(4,4%) to nMARQ. Globally, AF ablation had one-year success rate of 72,5%, and 56,2% at 3 years. A significant difference between AF duration type was found: Arrhythmic recurrence risk was 58% higher in persistent AF(PeAF) (HR 1.58;95%IC 1,22-2,04; p < 0.001). In patients presenting with PAF prior to the procedure, success was significantly higher in those submitted to SS technique(HR:0.69;95%CI 0,47-0,90;p = 0.046), while those with PeAF had similar results. Conclusion In this single center analysis almost three-quarters had achieved one-year event-free survival, and more than a half reached long-term freedom from atrial arrhythmia. Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation submitted to single-shot procedure presented with a higher success-rate. Moreover, our study confirmed previous data on the importance of atrial fibrillation classification to postprocedural outcomes. Abstract Figure. Survival Curves


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Matsunaga ◽  
Y Egami ◽  
M Yano ◽  
M Yamato ◽  
R Shutta ◽  
...  

Abstract Background It has been reported that frequent use of touch-up focal ablation catheters was related to worse outcomes after cryoballoon (CB) atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. It is unknown whether non-use of touch-up focal ablation catheters strategy affects the outcome of AF ablation. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether non-use of touch-up focal ablation catheters strategy improve clinical outcome after AF ablation using CB. Methods A total of 151 consecutive patients who received CB ablation from February 2017 to August 2019 were enrolled. Non-use of a touch-up focal ablation catheters strategy was started from February 2018. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the type of strategy. In the non-touch-up group, pulmonary veins were isolated without touch-up focal ablation catheters as much as possible and in conventional group, touch-up focal ablation catheters were used as required. The 1-year atrial tachyarrhythmia free survival without class 1 or 3 antiarrhythmic drugs after a 90-day blanking period was assessed between the 2 groups. Results The conventional group consisted of 76 patients and the non-touch-up group consisted of 75 patients. Baseline characteristics were comparable between 2 groups. Touch-up focal ablation catheters were used more in the conventional group (11 patients, 14%) than non-touch-up group (0 patients, 0%) (p<0.001). Pulmonary isolation was achieved in all patients of both groups. Atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence occurred more frequently in the non-touch-up group (15/75 patients, 20%) than conventional group (7/76 patients, 9%) (p=0.045). Conclusion Non-use of a touch-up focal ablation catheters strategy may be related to worse outcome after CB AF ablation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Tilz ◽  
C L Lenz ◽  
P S Sommer ◽  
N Sawan ◽  
R Meyer-Saraei ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Based on the assumption of trigger elimination, pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) currently presents the gold standard of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Recently, rapidly spinning rotors or focal impulse formation has been raised as a crucial sustaining mechanism of AF. Ablation of these rotors may potentially obviate the need for trigger elimination with PVI. Purpose This study sought to compare the safety and effectiveness of Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation (FIRM) guided catheter ablation only with the gold standard of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal AF. Methods This was a post-market, prospective, single-blinded, randomized, multi-center trial. Patients were enrolled at three centers and equally (1:1) randomized between those undergoing conventional RF ablation with PVI (PVI group) vs. those treated with FIRM-guided RF ablation without PVI (FIRM group). Data was collected at enrollment, procedure, and at 7-day, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up visits. The study was closed early by the sponsor. At the time of study closure, any pending follow-up visits were waived. Results From February 2016 until February 2018, a total of 51 (out of a planned 170) patients (mean age 63±10.6 years, 57% male) were enrolled and randomized. Four patients withdrew from the study prior to treatment, resulting in 23 patients allocated to the FIRM group and 24 in the PVI group. Only 13 patients in the FIRM group and 11 patients in the PVI group completed the 12-month follow-up. Statistical analysis was not completed given the small number of patients. Single-procedure effectiveness (freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence after blanking period) was 52.9% (9/17) in the FIRM group and 85.7% (12/14) in the PVI group at 6 months; and 31.3% (5/16) in the FIRM group and 80% (8/10) in the PVI group at 12 months. Repeat procedures were performed in 45.8% (11/24) patients in the FIRM group and 7.4% (2/27) in the PVI group. The acute safety endpoint [freedom from procedure-related serious adverse events (SAE)] was achieved in 87% (20/23) of FIRM group patients and 100% (24/24) of PVI group patients. Procedure related SAEs occurred in three patients in the FIRM group: 1 femoral artery aneurysm and 2 injection site hematomas. No additional procedure-related SAEs were reported >7 days post-procedure. Conclusions These partial study effectiveness results reinforce the importance of PVI in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation patients and suggest that FIRM-guided ablation alone (without PVI) is not an effective strategy for treatment of paroxysmal AF in most patients. Further study is needed to understand the effectiveness of adding FIRM-guided ablation as an adjunct to PVI in this patient group. Acknowledgement/Funding Abbot


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M F Dietz ◽  
E A Prihadi ◽  
P Van Der Bijl ◽  
N Ajmone Marsan ◽  
V Delgado ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) can be caused by atrial fibrillation (AF) in the absence of left-sided heart disease or pulmonary hypertension. The prognostic impact of AF-TR has not been investigated. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of TR in AF patients who do not show left-sided heart disease, pulmonary hypertension or primary structural abnormalities. Methods A total of 63 AF patients with moderate and severe TR were identified and matched by age and gender to 116 patients with AF without significant TR, resulting in a total study population of 179 patients (mean age 71±7 years, 59% male). As per design of the study, patients with primary TR, significant (moderate or severe) aortic and/or mitral valve disease, previous valvular surgery, congenital heart disease, left ventricular ejection fraction <50%, systolic pulmonary artery pressure >40mmHg, pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator leads in situ were excluded as well as patients with AF de novo. Patients were followed for the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality, hospitalization for heart failure and stroke. Results Patients with AF-TR had more often paroxysmal AF as compared to patients without TR (60% vs. 43%, p=0.028). In addition, right atrial volumes and the tricuspid annulus diameter (TAD) were significantly larger in patients with AF-TR compared to their counterparts (p<0.001 for all). Furthermore, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was significantly lower in patients with AF-TR (17±5 mm vs. 21±6 mm, p<0.001). During follow-up (median 62 [32–95] months) 55 events for the combined endpoint occurred. One- and 5-year event-free survival rates for patients with TR were 71% and 53%, compared to 92% and 85% for patients without TR, respectively (Log rank Chi-Square p<0.001; Figure). In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age, gender, NYHA functional class >2, renal function, right ventricular (RV) function and TAD, the presence of significant TR was independently associated with the combined endpoint (HR, 2.495; 95% CI, 1.167–5.335; p=0.018), while RV function was not (HR, 1.026; 95% CI, 0.971–1.085; p=0.364). Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier curves Conclusion In the absence of left-sided heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, significant TR is independently associated with worse event-free survival in patients with AF.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 5479-5479
Author(s):  
Hee-Jung Sohn ◽  
Kihyun Kim ◽  
Jae-Hoon Lee ◽  
Soo-Mee Bang ◽  
Dong Hwan Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract The Durie-Salmon (DS) stage has been the gold standard for stratification of MM patients. However, the system does not contain beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) widely recognized as the single most powerful prognostic parameter. Recently, The Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) staging system (Jacobson JL, et al. Br J Haematol122:441–50, 2003) and the International Staging System (ISS) (Greipp PR, et al. J Clin Oncol23:3412–20, 2005) utilizing B2M have been proposed. We aimed to evaluate whether the stage assessed at the time of ASCT by DS, SWOG, or ISS predict outcome following ASCT in patients with MM. Between November 1996 and December 2004, a total of 141 patients with MM who were treated with ASCT at 5 institutions in Korea were available for this analysis. The distribution of patients’ stage at ASCT by 3 staging systems was as Table 1. With a median follow-up of 20 months from ASCT, the median event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 16 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 11–21) and 56 months (95% CI, 38–74), respectively. The median survival of each stage group according to 3 staging systems at ASCT was as Table 2. Differences in EFS among the stage groups were not statistically significant. However, OS after ASCT was dependent on the SWOG stage at the time of ASCT and also significantly longer in patients with ISS stage I than others (NR vs. 39 months, P =.001). In this study, OS following ASCT was influenced by the stage according to SWOG or ISS, but not DS. The distribution of patients by 3 staging systems Stage I II III IV DS 32 (23%) 23 (16%) 86 (61%) - SWOG 53 (38%) 66 (47%) 16 (11%) 6 (4%) ISS 85 (60%) 34 (24%) 22 (16%) - Median event-free survial and overall survival by 3 staging systems Stage I II III IV P EFS=evnet-free survival, OS=overall survival, NR=not reached, * in months EFS* DS 27 17 13 - .40 SWOG 22 15 24 4 .21 ISS 17 13 10 - .63 OS* DS NR 58 40 - .17 SWOG NR 41 32 17 .045 ISS NR 32 40 - .0042


Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 126 (7) ◽  
pp. 806-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efstratios I. Charitos ◽  
Ulrich Stierle ◽  
Paul D. Ziegler ◽  
Malte Baldewig ◽  
Derek R. Robinson ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Cai ◽  
W Hua ◽  
S.W Yang ◽  
N.X Zhang ◽  
Y.R Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF), one of the most common comorbidities with heart failure (HF), is associated with worse prognosis in HF patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, there is still no convenient tool to evaluate and identify patients with high risk of mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure in CRT candidates with AF. Methods We included 152 consecutive patients with AF for CRT in our hospital from January 2009 to July 2019. Multivariate Cox regression was applied to derive a nomogram, using multiple imputation for missing values and backward stepwise regression for variable selection. Results Five predictors were incorporated in the nomogram, including N-terminal pro brain natriuretic protein (NTproBNP) &gt;1745pg/mL, history of syncope, previous pulmonary hypertension (PHP), moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) &gt;4mIU/L. Concordance index (0.70, 95% CI 0.62–0.77), corrected concordance index (0.67, 95% CI 0.59–0.74) and calibration curve showed optimal discrimination and calibration of the established nomogram. Significant difference of overall event-free survival was recognized by the nomogram-derived scores in patients with high risk (&gt;50 points), intermediate risk (21–50 points) and low risk (0–20 points) before CRT. Conclusion Our nomogram may be an applicable tool for early risk stratification among CRT candidates with AF. Nomogram and risk stratification Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


Author(s):  
Tauseef Akhtar ◽  
Usama Daimee ◽  
Bhradeev Sivasambu ◽  
Thomas Boyle ◽  
Armin Arbab-Zadeh ◽  
...  

Background: Data related to electrophysiologic characteristics of atypical atrial flutter (AFL) following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation and its prognostic value on repeat ablation success are limited. Methods: We studied consecutive patients undergoing a repeat LA ablation for either recurrent AF or atypical AFL, following 3 months after index AF ablation, between January 2012 and July 2019. The demographics, procedural data, complications, and 1-year arrhythmia-free survival rates were recorded for each subject after the first repeat ablation. Results: Of the total 336 included patients, 102 underwent a repeat ablation for atypical AFL and 234 for recurrent AF. The mean age was 63.7  10.7 years, and 72.6 % of patients were male. The atypical AFL cohort had significantly higher LA diameters (4.6 vs. 4.4 cm, p=0.04) and LA volume indices (LAVi; 85.1 vs. 75.4 ml/m2, p=0.03) compared to AF patients at repeat ablation. Atypical AFLs were roof-dependent in 35.6% and peri-mitral in 23.8% of cases. Major complications at repeat ablation occurred in 0.9 % of the total cohort. Arrhythmia-free survival at one year was significantly higher in the recurrent atypical AFL than the recurrent AF cohort (75.5 vs. 65.0 %, p=0.04). Conclusion: In our series, roof-dependent flutter is the most common form of atypical atrial flutter post AF ablation. Patients developing atypical AFL after index AF ablation have greater LA dimensions than patients with recurrent AF. The success rate of first repeat ablation is significantly higher among patients with recurrent atypical AFL compared to recurrent AF after index AF ablation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Kalavrouziotis ◽  
Karen J. Buth ◽  
Tarren Vyas ◽  
Imtiaz S. Ali

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