Clinical outcomes of adjunctive posterior wall isolation in persistent atrial fibrillation: A meta-analysis.

Abstract

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation but the recurrence rate remains relatively high in persistent patients with AF. Therefore, posterior wall isolation (PWI) in addition to PVI has been proposed to increase freedom from AF. To evaluate the success of adjunctive PWI in persistent AF. We searched electronic database using specific terms. The primary outcomes are recurrence rate of AF and recurrence of atrial arrhythmias. The secondary outcomes were atrial flutter/tachycardia (AFL/AT), procedure time, fluoroscopy time, and procedure related complications. Estimated risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated. Six studies were included (1334 patients with persistent AF). Adjunctive PWI resulted in a significant reduction in the recurrence rate of AF compared withpatients who had PVI only (19.8% vs 29.1%; RR, 0.64; 95%CI, 0.42-0.97; P < .04; I2 = 76%). There was a significant reduction in the recurrence rate of all atrial arrhythmia (30.8% vs 41.1%; RR, 0.75; 95%CI, 0.60-0.94; P < .01; I2 = 60%). Compared with PVI only, adjunctive PWI did not increase the rate of AFLor AT (11.6% vs 13.9%; RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.54-1.32; P < .46; I2 = 47%) or the rate of procedure related complications (4.6% vs 3.6%; RR, 1.25; 95%CI, 0.72-2.17; P < .44; I2 = 0%). In patients with persistent AF, adjunctive PWI was associated with decreased recurrence of AF and atrial arrhythmias compared withPVI alone without an increased risk of AFL or ATor procedure related complications.