Treatment Of Symptomatic Atrial Fibrillation Research Articles

Trends and predictors of early ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in a Nationwide population under age 65: a retrospective observational study

BackgroundCatheter ablation (CA) has emerged as an effective treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). However practice patterns and patient factors associated with referral for CA within the first 12 months after diagnosis are poorly characterized. This study examined overall procedural trends and factors predictive of catheter ablation for newly-diagnosed atrial fibrillation in a young, commercially-insured population.MethodsA large nationally-representative sample of patients age 20 to 64 from years 2010 to 2016 was studied using the IBM MarketScan® Commercial Database. Patients were included with a new diagnosis of AF in the inpatient or outpatient setting with continuous enrollment for at least 1 year pre and post index visit. Patients were excluded if they had prior history of AF or had filled an anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) in the pre-index period.ResultsEarly CA increased from 5.0% in 2010 to 10.5% in 2016. Patients were less likely to undergo CA if they were located in the Northeast (OR: 0.80, CI: 0.73–0.88) or North Central (OR: 0.91, CI: 0.83–0.99) regions (compared with the West), had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores, or had Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score of 3 or greater (OR: 0.61; CI: 0.51–0.72).ConclusionsCA within 12 months for new-diagnosed AF increased significantly from 2010 to 2016, with most patients still trialed on an AAD prior to CA. Patients are less likely to be referred for early CA if they are located in the Northeast and North Central regions, have more comorbidities, or higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores.

Safety and Efficacy of Cryoballoon Ablation for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Diabetic Patients.

Cryoballoon based catheter ablation (CB-CA) is an established therapy for treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data about AF ablation using the CB in the diabetic population is sparse. The aim of this single center retrospective study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CB ablation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) as compared to patients without DM. Between July 2015 and December 2017, 397 consecutive patients underwent CB-CA for AF. Forty-eight consecutive patients with DM (DM group, study group) were compared with propensity score-matched patients without DM (n=48, control group). All patients underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using the second-generation CB (CB2). The mean age in the DM group was 66.9±9.5 years and 69.5±8.8 in the non-DM group (p=0.18). During a follow-up of 12.7±5.1 months, single procedure success rate for the DM and the non-DM group was 68.7% and 70.8%, respectively (p=0.82). The most common complication was transient phrenic nerve palsy (4 DM group vs. 0 non-DM group, p=0.04). No severe complication such as procedure related deaths, atrio-esophageal fistula or cerebrovascular embolic events occurred. Our data strengthen the value of CB2 based ablation for the treatment of AF as an effective and safe procedure in DM patients, with similar success rates when compared with a non-DM population.

P342Time-to-isolation-guided cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation reduces esophageal and mediastinal alterations detected by endoscopic ultrasound

Abstract Background Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is recommended for treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Cryoballoon ablation is an emerging safe and efficient technique for achieving PVI. Nevertheless, structural alterations of the mediastinum and/or the oesophagus, which seem to be associated with an increased risk of the lethal complication of an atrio-oesophageal fistula, have been described. Purpose MADE-PVI (Mediastino-oesophageal Alterations Detected by Endosonography after PVI) aimed at evaluating safety of cryoballoon PVI in relation to two different freeze protocols. As a time-to-isolation (TTI)-guided protocol has been reported to be as effective as a conventional “two freeze protocol”, we hypothesized that a TTI-guided protocol causes less peri-atrial and -oesophageal lesions. Methods 70 consecutive patients were scheduled for de novo cryoballoon (2nd generation) PVI employing either a conventional freeze protocol (Group A: n=35: 2x180s per vein) or a TTI-guided approach (Group B: n=35; freeze time: TTI+120s per vein or 1x180s in case TTI could not be measured). Structural oesophageal and mediastinal alterations (e.g. ulceration, oedema) were assessed by endoscopy and endosonography blinded prior and post ablation. Results Irrespective of used freeze protocol, ablation significantly increased atrio-oesophageal distances, including distance to left and right inferior pulmonary vein ostia as well as to the posterior wall of the left atrium (all p<0.001). In general, postinterventional mediastinal oedematous alterations were detected in 47 patients (70%) with a mean size of 14mm (± 0.9 mm), while only 10 patients (15%) revealed a large mediastinal oedema >20mm. Oesophageal thermal lesions occurred in 3 patients (4%) including 1 deep ulceration, which coincided with a large mediastinal oedema. The two freeze protocols had a distinct impact on mediastinal lesions as mean size of oedematous alterations and occurrence of large mediastinal oedema were significantly increased in Group A vs. Group B (17 mm vs. 11 mm, p<0.001; 26% vs. 6%, p=0.029). Furthermore, every oesophageal lesion was detected in patients in group A. Nonetheless, no major complication occurred in either group. Conclusions The present prospective study clearly demonstrates a significant impact of freeze protocol on post-interventional mediastino-oesophageal alterations. A TTI-guided protocol employing 2nd generation cryoballoon reduces mediastino-oesophageal lesions and may reduce complications. Acknowledgement/Funding This study was supported by Medtronic by an unrestricted grant (A 1351459).

Short and Intermediate Term Outcomes of the Convergent Procedure: Initial Experience in a Tertiary Referral Center.

Purpose: The Convergent procedure is a hybrid, multidisciplinary treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) consisting of minimally invasive surgical epicardial ablation and percutaneous/catheter endocardial ablation. We investigated outcomes following introduction of the Convergent procedure at our institution.Methods: Retrospective study examining single-center outcomes. Demographic, procedural, and post-procedural variables were collected with follow-up data obtained at 3, 6, and 12 months.Results: In all, 36 patients with paroxysmal (11%) or persistent/long-standing persistent (89%) AF underwent the Convergent procedure. 36% also underwent concomitant left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion by thoracoscopic placement of an epicardial clip. Mean age 60.6 ± 8.0 years with mean arrhythmia burden of 3.9 ± 2.7 years. All patients had failed prior attempts at medical management, 81% had failed prior cardioversion, and 17% had failed prior catheter ablation. Convergent was performed successfully in all patients with no peri-procedural deaths or major complications. At 3 and 12 months, 77.8% and 77.3% of patients, respectively, were free from symptomatic arrhythmia. 65.8% were off anti-arrhythmic medication at 12 months.Conclusions: The Convergent procedure is safe and has good short- and intermediate-term clinical success rates. This unique hybrid approach combines strengths of surgical and catheter ablation and should be part of any comprehensive AF treatment program.

Surgical Treatment for Stand-Alone Atrial Fibrillation in North America

Surgical treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation has been performed for 3 decades. We reviewed trends and outcomes of surgical ablation (SA) for stand-alone atrial fibrillation using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgical Database (STS-ACSD). The STS-ACSD was reviewed from 2011 to 2017 (N = 7187) for trends. Contemporary data from 2014 to 2017 (n= 3893) were used to compare three subgroups: off pump (n= 3252), on pump (n= 491), and patients with incision conversion or conversion from off pump to on pump (n = 150). Propensity score matching was conducted to balance groups. Annual growth of stand-alone SA was 7%. Median age of patients was 64 years (interquartile range, 57 to 70), and 30% were female. Overall 30-day mortality was 0.8% and perioperative stroke incidence was 0.8%. Most SA procedures were off pump (84%), with 12% greater odds for off pump per year (odds ratio [OR] 1.12, P < .001). The off-pump group had fewer biatrial SA (21% vs 71%, P < .001) and left atrial appendage obliterations (53% vs 95%, P < .001) compared with the on-pump group. After matching, uneventful off-pump SA had similar mortality (0.4% vs 0.9%, P= .292) vs on-pump SA, but reduced incidence of renal failure (0.9% vs 2%, P= .033). After risk adjustment, the conversion group had worse perioperative outcomes vs the off-pump group, including greater incidence of stroke (OR 5.37, P< .001) and operative mortality (OR 9.98, P < .001). Mortality (OR 4.69, P= .011) was also greater for conversion vs on pump. Steady growth of stand-alone SA operations was noted. Procedures performed either on pump or off pump were relatively safe. However, intraoperative conversion was associated with significantly higher morbidity and mortality. Patient selection, improvement of surgical techniques, and long-term follow-up should be emphasized to improve decision making and outcome.

CONCOMITANT PULMONARY VEIN ISOLATION AND LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE OCCLUSION FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A META-ANALYSIS OF SAFETY AND EFFICACY OUTCOMES

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) with 50% to 90% freedom from recurrent AF. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as an alternative therapy for stroke risk reduction in patients with non-valvular AF who cannot

Current Safety of Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: First Experience of Same Day Discharge

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has become the standard treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Patients remain hospitalized for at least 24 hours to detect potential complications in most centers worldwide. There is still a lack of data about the safety of same-day discharge. The aim was to compare the safety of same-day discharge with next day discharge after overnight monitoring.The rate of new hospitalization and visits to the emergency department and the costeffectiveness of the same-day discharge approach were evaluated. We conducted a longitudinal and prospective cohort study of all the consecutive patients undergoing scheduled pulmonary vein ablation of either paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). The complications were recorded by type and time of occurrence. Overall 58 patients were discharged within the same day and 137 patients stayed overnight after PVI. There were no significant differences in demography, comorbidities and other predictors of complications. No complications were reported after the sixth hour. We observed a significant difference in the number of visits to emergency department: 15.5% for the same-day discharge group vs. 30.7% for the overnight hospitalization group (p 0.03). Only 50% of the reasons to visit the emergency department were cardiovascular causes. No cases of pericardial tamponade were reported and none of the patients required new hospitalization up to 30 days of follow up. Same-day discharge after PVI is feasible and cost-effective. This is the first study analyzing the experience in patients undergoing AVP,considering acare based component to this procedure. This approach would provide significant benefits for patients and health care providers.

P994Five-year outcome and predictors of success after second-generation cryoballoon ablation for treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation

P994Five-year outcome and predictors of success after second-generation cryoballoon ablation for treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation

Five-year outcome and predictors of success after second-generation cryoballoon ablation for treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation

IntroductionData on long-term outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) are sparse. Here, we report the first 5-year follow-up results and predictors of outcome for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using the second-generation cryoballoon (CB-Adv) in patients with symptomatic AF. Methods and resultsFor this prospective observational study, we enrolled 178 patients with paroxysmal (132/178 [74.2%] patients) or persistent AF who underwent PVI with CB-Adv at our institution during 2012. Clinical success was defined as freedom from AF, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia recurrence >30-s following the 3-month blanking period. Follow-up data were collected during outpatient clinic visits and included Holter-ECG recordings. The impacts of several variables on outcome were evaluated by means of univariate and multivariate analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models.PVI was sufficient in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm in 59.0% (n = 105) of patients (paroxysmal AF: 81/132 (61.4%) patients; persistent AF: 24/46 (52.2%) patients, P = 0.20). The median procedure and fluoroscopy times were 126 (interquartile range 114/150) and 20 (16/26) min, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that left atrial area ≤21 cm2 and the absence of diabetes independently predicted outcome. ConclusionsSinus rhythm was maintained in a substantial proportion of patients even 5 years after CB-Adv ablation. Patients with a non-enlarged left atrium without diabetes had the best outcome.

Second-generation cryoballoon ablation as a first-line treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation: Two-year outcome and predictors of recurrence after a single procedure

IntroductionAntiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) has limitations. We investigated the 2-year outcome and pre-procedural predictors of recurrence for first-line catheter ablation using the second-generation cryoballoon (CB-Adv) in a large cohort of patients with symptomatic AF. Methods and resultsFor this prospective observational study, we enrolled 457 patients with symptomatic AF (278 paroxysmal, 179 persistent) who had no history of AAD use and who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with the CB-Adv at our institution. Follow-up data, including Holter-ECGs, were collected during outpatient clinic visits. The impact of several variables on outcome was evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models. Median follow-up duration was 28 (interquartile range 15/42) months. PVI was sufficient in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm in 79.2% (n=362) of patients. The median procedure and fluoroscopy times were 90 (72/120) and 16 (12/21) min, respectively. Phrenic nerve injury occurred in 16 (3.5%) patients, persisting until hospital discharge in 6 (1.3%) patients; phrenic nerve function recovered in all patients during follow-up. Seven patients developed groin hematomas (1.5%). Cox regression analysis showed that left atrial area >21cm2 independently predicted recurrence. ConclusionThis is the first demonstration that PVI with CB-Adv is safe and effective as a first-line treatment of symptomatic AF. Sinus rhythm persisted in 79.2% of patients even 2years after ablation. The success rate was lower in patients with enlarged left atria.

Almanac 2013: cardiac arrhythmias and pacing--an editorial overview of selected research that has driven recent advances in clinical cardiology.

Important advances have been made in the past few years in the fields of clinical cardiac electrophysiology and pacing. Researchers and clinicians have a greater understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF), which has transpired into improved methods of detection, risk stratification, and treatments. The introduction of novel oral anticoagulants has provided clinicians with alternative options in managing patients with AF at moderate to high thromboembolic risk and further data has been emerging on the use of catheter ablation for the treatment of symptomatic AF. Another area of intense research in the field of cardiac arrhythmias and pacing is in the use of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) for the treatment of patients with heart failure. Following the publication of major landmark randomised controlled trials reporting that CRT confers a survival advantage in patients with severe heart failure and improves symptoms, many subsequent studies have been performed to further refine the selection of patients for CRT and determine the clinical characteristics associated with a favourable response. The field of sudden cardiac death and implantable cardioverter defibrillators also continues to be actively researched, with important new epidemiological and clinical data emerging on improved methods for patient selection, risk stratification, and management.This review covers the major recent advances in these areas related to cardiac arrhythmias and pacing.

First insights into cryoballoon-based pulmonary vein isolation taking the individual time-to-isolation into account.

Cryoballoon (CB)-based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an established treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). In the present study, we sought to assess the efficacy and safety of CB-based PVI taking the individual time-to-isolation (TTI) into account. Sixty consecutive patients with drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation [n = 49 (82%)] or short-standing persistent atrial fibrillation [n = 11 (18%)] underwent ablation with a 28-mm second-generation CB. The TTI was assessed by spiral mapping-catheter recordings and subsequently followed by an additional freeze-time of 120 s. No bonus freeze-cycle was applied. If the TTI could not be assessed, a fixed freeze-cycle duration of 240 s was applied and successful PVI confirmed thereafter. Clinical follow-up (FU) included 12-lead ECGs and 24 h Holter-ECGs at 3, 6, and 12 months. A blanking period of 3 months was defined. A total of 239 pulmonary veins (PVs) were identified and successfully isolated. The mean TTI assessed in 170/239 (71%) PVs was 52 ± 32 s. The mean number of CB applications was 1.2 ± 0.5; mean freeze-cycle duration was 192 ± 41 s. Mean procedure and fluoroscopy times were 80 ± 24 min and 16 ± 7 min, respectively. Transient phrenic nerve palsy occurred in one patient (2%). During a mean FU of 405 ± 67 days, 43 patients (72%) remained in stable sinus rhythm. Integrating an individual TTI protocol to CB-based PVI results in shorter freeze-cycle applications in a substantial portion of targeted PVs and an arrhythmia-free survival comparable to conventional ablation protocols. The complication rate is low.

Clinical outcome of 2nd generation cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation in patients over 75 years of age

BackgroundPulmonary vein isolation is an established therapy for symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Despite the fact that incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, patients over 75 years of age have been excluded in all major atrial fibrillation ablation trials. Pulmonary vein isolation with the cryoballoon has been shown to be equally effective compared to irrigated radiofrequency catheter ablation, but patients over 75 years have also been excluded. The 2nd generation cryoballoon has shown superior efficacy compared to the 1st generation cryoballoon. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation with the 2nd generation cryoballoon for symptomatic atrial fibrillation in elderly patients over 75 years. MethodsPatients over 75 years of age presenting with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation refractory or intolerant to at least one class I or class III antiarrhythmic drug who underwent pulmonary vein isolation with the 2nd generation cryoballoon were included in this single-center observational study. ResultsA total of 40 patients with a mean age of 78.3±2.7 years with paroxysmal (n=31; 77.5%) or persistent (n=9; 22.5%) atrial fibrillation were identified. All patients had a successful pulmonary vein isolation procedure with 100% of veins isolated. After a 3-month blanking period during a mean follow-up of 15.1±8.2 months there were 9 (22.5%) arrhythmia recurrences, while 31 patients (77.5%) maintained stable sinus rhythm. Freedom from arrhythmia recurrence was 86.4% at 12 months and 80.2% at 24 months. ConclusionsPulmonary vein isolation with the 2nd generation cryoballoon appears to be an effective treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation also in patients over 75 years of age.

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in chronic heart failure: state-of-the-art and future perspectives.

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AFCA) is a widely recommended treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients refractory to pharmacological treatment. Catheter ablation of AF is becoming a therapeutic option also among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), on top of optimal medical treatment, being this arrhythmia related to a higher risk of death and/or symptom's worsening. In fact, in this setting, clinical evidences are continuously increasing. The present systematic review pools all published experiences concerning AFCA among CHF patients, or patients with structural cardiomyopathies, in order to summarize procedural safety and efficacy in this specific population. Moreover, the effects of AFCA on functional class and quality of life and the different procedural protocols available are discussed. The present work, therefore, attempts to provide an evidence-based clinical perspective to optimize clinical indication and tailor procedural characteristics and endpoints to patients affected by CHF referred for AFCA.

Late Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Program at Unity Point Health Methodist in Peoria Illinois.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the long term efficacy and safety of the atrial fibrillation program at Unity Point Health Methodist in Peoria. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who had atrial fibrillation procedures at Unity Point Methodist from February 19 th 2010 to September 26 th 2014. Patients were enrolled and information obtained through the patient's medical records. The study consisted of 53 patients, 65 percent of patients were paroxysmal, and 35 percent had chronic or persistent atrial fibrillation. The mean age was 66 +/- 23 (45 to 89 years). The average CHADS-Vasc Score is score is 2.13. Baseline co-morbidities included 34 individuals with HTN, 10 with Diabetes, and 4 with coronary artery disease. The average EF was 55% +/-25 (30% to 70%) and the average LA diameter 41 +/-15 mm (25-56). The average number of antiarrhythmic was 1.5 prior to ablation. After a mean follow-up of 28 ± 29 months (range, 3 to 57 months), freedom from AF was 94% overall (51 of 53 patients, including 52 were on antiarrhythmic drugs), 94% for paroxysmal AF (34 of 36 patients, including 24 of whom discontinued their antiarrhythmic drugs), and 94% for persistent AF (16 of 17 patients, including 9 no longer on antiarrhythmic drugs). 76 percent experienced a decrease in their antiarrhythmic medications of which 60 percent discontinued antiarrhythmic altogether. Out of the 53 patients, there were three major but completely reversible transient complications. Two of the complications were related to pericardial effusion that was successfully drained with no recurrence. The last complication was phrenic nerve injury in a patient who showed complete recovery 4 month after the procedure. Long-term results of atrial fibrillation ablation at Unity Point Health Methodist showed safety and efficacy of the program in the treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation in both paroxysmal and persistent groups.

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Important advances have been made in the past few years in the fields of clinical cardiac electrophysiology and pacing. Researchers and clinicians have a greater understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF), which has transpired into improved methods of detection, risk stratification, and treatments. The introduction of novel oral anticoagulants has provided clinicians with alternative options in managing patients with AF at moderate to high thromboembolic risk and further data has been emerging on the use of catheter ablation for the treatment of symptomatic AF. Another area of intense research in the field of cardiac arrhythmias and pacing is in the use of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) for the treatment of patients with heart failure. Following the publication of major landmark randomised controlled trials reporting that CRT confers a survival advantage in patients with severe heart failure and improves symptoms, many subsequent studies have been performed to further refine the selection of patients for CRT and determine the clinical characteristics associated with a favourable response. The field of sudden cardiac death and implantable cardioverter defibrillators also continues to be actively researched, with important new epidemiological and clinical data emerging on improved methods for patient selection, risk stratification, and management. This review covers the major recent advances in these areas related to cardiac arrhythmias and pacing.

Comparison of Transesophageal Echocardiography Versus Computed Tomography for Detection of Left Atrial Appendage Filling Defect (Thrombus)

Patients with atrial fibrillation, who are referred for radiofrequency pulmonary vein antral isolation, frequently undergo transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to detect and/or exclude left atrial or left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus and cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to define and/or evaluate left atrial and pulmonary venous anatomy. Previous studies have reported CCTA to have high sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting thrombus in the LAA. Previous studies determining an optimal LAA/ascending aorta (AA) Hounsfield unit (HU) density ratio for detection of LAA thrombus have been small, with limited numbers of thrombi. We thus sought to determine both the optimal cutoff for LAA HU density and LAA/AA HU density ratio in detecting LAA thrombus compared with TEE in a multicenter population. We included 84 patients who had undergone CCTA and TEE. LAA was evaluated by 64-row CCTA qualitatively (visual filling defect) and quantitatively (measurement of LAA HU density and LAA/AA HU density ratio), using a 1-cm area of interest in the same axial plane. Results were compared with TEE visualization of thrombus or spontaneous echo contrast. Qualitative identification of thrombus in LAA by CCTA compared with TEE detection of thrombus had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 77.9%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 51.6%, an NPV of 100%, and a total accuracy of 82.1%. The optimal LAA HU density cutoff for thrombus detection was 119 with a sensitivity of 88%, a specificity of 86%, PPV 56%, and an area under the curve of 0.923 (p = 0.0004). The optimal LAA/aorta HU ratio was 0.242 with a sensitivity of 87%, a specificity of 88%, a PPV of 64%, and an area under the curve of 0.921 (p = 0.0011). There is no significant difference (p = 0.72) between both areas under the curve, and both measurements improved the specificity and PPV compared with qualitative measures. Multidetector computed tomography is an imaging technique that can exclude LAA thrombus with very high NPV. Quantitative measurement of LAA HU density (cutoff 119) or LAA/aorta HU density ratio (cutoff 0.242) improves accuracy of positively detecting LAA thrombus. This technique is especially useful when delayed scanning is not performed and LAA is found incidentally after the patient scanning is complete.

Gastroparesis: an under-recognized complication after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation procedure

Purpose: Percutaneous catheter ablation (CA) is a well-established treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). Major complications occur in up to 6% of procedures, being mostly cardiovascular events. Among extracardiac complications, only a few cases of gastroparesis have been reported. We present two cases of gastroparesis after CA. Methods: Patients with AF undergoing CA with radiofrecuency (RF) or cryoablation therapy (CrT) were consecutively included. CrT was performed in those patients with normal anatomy of pulmonary veins (PV) and paroxysmal AF, and the rest of the patients underwent RF CA. Results: From May 2011 to December 2012 a total of 106 procedures were performed (80 RF and 26 CrT procedures). Mean age was 63,6years, 63% were male. AF was persistent in 48% of cases. The incidence of gastroparesis was 1.88% (2/106). Patients complained of shortness of breath, dysphagia, early satiety and epigastric discomfort within 72-96 hours after CA. RF standard CA was performed in both cases (a 3.5-mm irrigated catheter with up to 35 W in a temperature-controlled, power limited mode). CT scan excluded atrio-esophageal fistula and showed a marked gastric dilatation and remnants of food (figure). A gastric emptying study was diagnostic of gastroparesis. Management was conservative with pro-kinetic therapy, proton pump inhibitors and ceasing oral intake during the first 3 days. At 6 months follow-up patients have no residual symptoms. ![Figure][1] X-ray and CTscan images Conclusions: Gastroparesis is a poorly defined and often under-recognized extracardiac complication caused by vagus nerve injury after CA. Delayed presentation and subtle symptoms can mask this complication. A prompt diagnosis and treatment are necessary in order to avoid significant patient morbidity [1]: pending:yes

Does atrial fibrillation ablation really reduce stroke rates?

less frequently than those treated with antiarrhythmic medications (14 of 589 [2.4%] vs 49 of 582 [8.4%]). However, that was a nonrandomized study from a single center and may have had a lot of confounders and selection bias. In this issue of HeartRhythm, Bunch et al 14 report that patients undergoing AF ablation have lower stroke rates during a long-term follow-up of more than 3 years than do patients who do not undergo AF ablation and the risk is similar to that of patients without a history of AF. Their results had 3 key implications. Their data were obtained from a large system-wide study derived from a prospectively collected registry and, therefore, may reflect a real-world cohort more adequately than did the data from other trials. In fact, the stroke rate at 1 year in their study is 3.5% in patients with AF who did not undergo ablation, which is well in line with the stroke rates of 2%–6% in patients treated mostly with anticoagulants and who had a mild to moderate risk in large-scale trials. 6,13,15,16 In addition, their patient groups were matched by age and sex, and although there was a small difference in the baseline risk between groups, the reduction in the stroke rate in the AF ablation group persisted after a multivariate adjustment for the confounding variables. Two recent studies from a large age- and sex-matched 15 or propensity-matched community sample 16 also showed comparative results in which the stroke rate in the ablation group with an ablation strategy was associated with a lower stroke rate as compared to patients treated with antiarrhythmic medications and who had no difference from that of the general population. Taken together, this suggests that the maintenance of sinus rhythm after ablation may be significantly more reduced than after antiarrhythmic medications

Surgical vs. transcatheter pulmonary vein isolation as first invasive treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation: a matched group comparison

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) can be considered for treatment of symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). Nowadays, in addition to transcatheter ablation, thoracoscopic surgical PVI is available. The aim of this study is to compare clinical outcome of surgical with transcatheter PVI as first invasive treatment strategy of AF. From June 2009 to November 2011, 33 patients underwent minimally invasive surgical PVI, and were matched (1:2 fashion) retrospectively according to age, sex, and AF type, with 66 patients who underwent transcatheter PVI. Success was defined as freedom from atrial arrhythmias on 24 h Holter monitoring without use of anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) at 1 year. Mean age was 52 ± 10 years, 82% were male. Paroxysmal AF was present in 76 patients (77%), persistent AF in 23 (23%) patients. None underwent prior ablations, and failed on 1.2 ± 0.6 AADs. At 12 months, complete freedom from atrial arrhythmias without AADs in the surgical PVI group was 88% compared with 41% in the transcatheter PVI group (P < 0.001). Freedom from atrial arrhythmias with AADs was 91 vs. 62%, in the surgical vs. transcatheter PVI group, respectively (P = 0.002). Complications occurred in seven (21%) surgical PVI patients, and three (5%) transcatheter PVI patients (P = 0.015). In present matched study comparing a surgical with transcatheter PVI treatment strategy in symptomatic AF patients failed on AADs, but without prior ablations, a surgical PVI strategy was more effective to prevent recurrence of atrial arrhythmias, than a transcatheter PVI treatment strategy. However, complications were more frequent with surgical PVI.