Abstract
Catheter-tissue contact is essential for effective lesion formation hence there is a growing usage of contact force (CF) technology in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Data regarding the efficacy and safety of CF for catheter ablation of AF are limited. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of CF on clinical outcomes and procedural parameters in comparison to conventional catheter (CC) for AF ablation. An electronic search was performed using Cochrane central database, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Knowledge. References were searched manually. Outcomes of interest were: recurrence rate, major complications (including major bleeding, ischemic stroke, embolism or transient ischemic attack), total procedure, and fluoroscopic times. Continuous variables were reported as standardized difference in means (SDM); odds ratios (OR) were reported for dichotomous variables. Eleven studies (2 randomized controlled studies and 9 cohorts) involving 1428 adult patients (855 patients (60%) with paroxysmal AF) were identified. CF was deployed in 552 patients. The range of CF used was between 2 and 60 grams-force (Mean CF 17±5 g). Follow up period ranged between 10- 53 weeks. In comparison between CF and CC groups, a lower recurrence rate was noted with CF (35% vs. 46%, OR 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45; 0.86), P=0.004). No significant heterogeneity was noted for the comparison (I2=23%, P=0.23). Shorter procedure and fluoroscopic times were achieved with CF (156 vs. 173 mins, SDM -0.85 (95% CI -1.48; -0.21), P=0.009; 28 vs. 36 mins, SDM -0.94 (95% CI.66; -0.21), P=0.01, respectively). Major complication rate was higher numerically in the CC group but this did not reach statistical significance (1.33% vs. 1.94%, OR 0.71 (95% CI 0.29; 1.73), P= 0.45). The use of CF technology results in a significant reduction of AF recurrence rate after AF ablation in comparison to CC group. CF technology is able to significantly reduce procedure and fluoroscopic times without compromising complication rate.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
