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Is the time of atrial fibrillation recurrence after cryoballoon ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation influenced by the pattern of PV reconnections?

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Abstract

Background

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with 2nd-generation cryoballoon (CB) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). We describe pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection at repeat ablation in patients with AF recurrence after CB PVI and analyze the correlation between the time of AF recurrence and the observed PV reconnection patterns.

Methods

Sixty-six patients undergoing a redo PVI for recurrent AF were enrolled 9.1 ± 2.6 months after the initial CB PVI procedure.

Results

Ninety-two percent had PV reconnections with a mean of 1.97 ± 0.8 reconnected PVs/patient, and 52% of formerly isolated PVs were found reconnected. The highest reconnected rates were observed for left superior PVs (67%). Fifty-three percent of the patients had 2 reconnected PVs, no patient had all PVs reconnected, and 8% were without PV reconnection. There was a significant negative correlation between the time of AF recurrences and the extent of PV reconnections at redo PVI for patients with proven PV reconnection in more than one PV (R = 0.52, p < 0.001), while all patients without PV reconnection had AF recurrences within the first 9 months after PVI.

Conclusions

At redo ablation, most patients with recurrence of AF after CB PVI had PV reconnection(s). Patients with PV reconnection(s) showed a negative correlation between the number of reconnected PVs and the time of AF recurrence with more extensive PV reconnections resulting in earlier PV recurrences after the blanking period. Patients without PV reconnection experienced early AF recurrences, indicating non-PV triggers contributing for paroxysmal AF recurrences in these patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany

    Marcus Wieczorek

  2. Department of Cardiology and Electrophysiology, St. Agnes-Hospital, Barloer Weg 125, 46397, Bocholt, Germany

    Marcus Wieczorek, Kiarash Sassani & Reinhard Hoeltgen

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  1. Marcus Wieczorek
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  2. Kiarash Sassani
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  3. Reinhard Hoeltgen
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Correspondence to Marcus Wieczorek.

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The study was approved by the ethics committee of University Witten/Herdecke, Germany.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Wieczorek, M., Sassani, K. & Hoeltgen, R. Is the time of atrial fibrillation recurrence after cryoballoon ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation influenced by the pattern of PV reconnections?. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 60, 321–327 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-020-00804-z

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