Introduction:
Although long-lasting circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) is a corner stone of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF), it is not clear whether additional linear or complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE)-guided ablations improve clinical outcome in patients with long-standing persistent AF (L-PeAF).
Hypothesis:
The purposes of this study were to compare CFAE maps before and after linear ablation, and to test whether additional CFAE ablation after linear ablation improves clinical outcome of L-PeAF.
Methods:
This study enrolled 119 consecutive L-PeAF patients (male 72.8%, 61.7±10.6 years old) who underwent RFCA. After baseline CFAE mapping, we conducted CPVI and linear ablations (posterior box lesion and anterior line). If AF maintained after linear ablation, we mapped CFAE again, and randomly assigned the patients to linear ablation group (Line, n=45) and additional CFAE ablation group (CFAE+Line, n=48). The patients whose AF terminated or changed to AT were excluded from randomization and classified as AF-Stop group (n=26). We compared pre- and post-linear ablation CFAE maps and clinical outcomes of CFAE+Line, Line, and AF-Stop groups.
Results:
1. Mean CFAE-cycle length (CL) was significantly prolonged (203.65±40.35 ms to 264.17±39.03 ms, p<0.001) and CFAE area was reduced (15.49±14.95% to 7.95±9.36%, p<0.001) after linear ablation. Post-linear ablation CFAE was mainly located at left atrial (LA) appendage, septum, and posterior inferior LA. 2. There were no differences in total procedure time (p=0.441), ablation time (p=0.144), and procedure-related complication rate (p=0.955) among three groups. 3. During 17.4±10.5 month follow-up period, clinical recurrence rates were 30.4% in CFAE+Line group, 12.8% in Line group, and 16.7% in AF-Stop groups, respectively (Log rank, p=0.138). 4. Additional CFAE ablation after linear ablation did not improve clinical outcome of catheter ablation at all in patients with L-PeAF (HR 2.11, 95% CI 0.91 - 4.89, p=0.082).
Conclusions:
Linear ablation prolonged CFAE-CL and localized CFAE area in patients with L-PeAF. However, CFAE guided ablation in addition to linear ablation and CPVI did not improve clinical outcome of catheter ablation.
Does Additional Electrogram‐Guided Ablation After Linear Ablation Reduce Recurrence After Catheter Ablation for Longstanding Persistent Atrial Fibrillation? A Prospective Randomized Study
