Clinical and Economic Outcomes of a Systematic Same-Day Discharge Program After Pulmonary Vein Isolation: Comparison between Cryoballoon versus Radiofrequency Ablation.

Abstract

Same-day discharge (SDD) is feasible after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). We aim to compare prospectively cryoballoon (CRYO) versus radiofrequency (RF) ablation in a systematic SDD program. We prospectively analyzed the 617 scheduled PVI performed consecutively at our institution (n = 377 CRYO, n = 240 RF) from April 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022 within a systematic program of SDD. The feasibility of SDD, the 10-day incidence of urgent/unplanned medical care after discharge (UUC-10), and the cost per procedure due to hospital resource use were studied. The 100 procedures performed during the previous year, in which patients were systematically hospitalized, were used as a control group. SDD was achieved in 585/617 (95%) procedures, with a significant trend towards a higher monthly SDD rate from 2019 to 2022 (p = 0.03). The frequency of SDD was similar in CRYO (356/377; 94%) vs. RF (229/240; 95%). After SDD, the UUC-10 was 66/585 (11.3%), being similar for CRYO (41/356; 11.5%) and RF (25/229; 10.9%); p = 0.8 (log-rank test). Of these, 10 patients were re-hospitalized, with an identical rate in CRYO- (6/356; 1.7%) and RF-treated (4/229; 1.7%) patients and owing to similar causes (4 hematomas, 4 pericarditis, and 2 symptomatic sinus node dysfunction). SDD was associated with an average savings per procedure of 63% (p < 0.001), but no differences were found between the CRYO and RF (p = 0.8). In a systematic SDD program, feasibility (95%, increasing over time), safety (11% UUC-10, 1.7% re-hospitalizations), and savings (63% per procedure) were similar for CRYO and RF ablation.