Different impacts of circumferential pulmonary vein isolation and antiarrhythmic drug therapy on size of left atrial in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Objective To investigate the different impacts of circumferential pulmonary vein isolation and antiarrhythmic drug therapy on effectiveness and size of left atrial in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods One hundred and one patients with paroxysmal AF were divided into two groups,radiofrequency catheter ablation group (n =56) and antiarrhythmic drug therapy group (n =45).Echocardiography was used to examine the left atrial inner diameters of these patients.The data were collected before therapy,and evaluated in 12 months after therapy.Results After a mean followup of (14.6 ± 2.3) months,47 patients were free from AF in radiofrequency catheter ablation group,the success rate was 83.9％ ; 22 patients were free from AF in drug treatment group,the success rate was 48.8％.The success rate of radiofrequency catheter ablation group was significantly higher than that of catheter ablation group (P ＜ 0.05).The left atrial inner diameters were similar in groups before therapy.Twelve months after therapy,there was no significant reduction in left atrial inner diametersin in patients who had sinus conversion by the antiarrhythmic drug procedure (P ＞ 0.05).In contrast,left atrial inner diametersins decreased significantly in patients who had sinus conversion by radiofrequency catheter ablation (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Circumferential pulmonary vein isolation is an effective therapy for paroxysmal AF.Compared with antiarrhythmic drug therapy,it has higher sinus conversion rate and can more effectively reverse morphological remodeling of the left atrial. Key words: Atrial fibrillation; Arrhythmia; Catheter ablation