Effect and Significance of Early Reablation for the Treatment of Early Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation After Catheter Ablation.

Abstract

There are few reports on early reablation (ER) for early recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation. The present study evaluated the efficacy and significance of ER for early recurrence within a blanking period of 3 months after ablation of both paroxysmal and persistent AF, using a propensity-matched analysis. Of 874 patients who underwent catheter ablation of AF, 389 (45%) had early recurrence. Of these, 78 patients underwent an ER procedure. A total of 132 matched patients (66 in the ER and 66 in the non-ER groups, 82 patients with paroxysmal AF) were included in the analysis. During a mean follow-up of 15.4 months, the patients who underwent ER had a significantly lower recurrence rate than those who did not (29 [44%] vs 42 patients [64%], p = 0.023). The benefit of ER was especially apparent in patients with paroxysmal AF (p = 0.008) but not in those with persistent AF (p = 0.774). However, 24 patients (36%) in the non-ER group did not experience recurrence after a blanking period without any reablation procedure. The total number of reablation sessions was higher in the ER group than in the non-ER group (1.2 ± 0.5 vs 0.4 ± 0.6, p <0.001). Nonetheless, mean number of arrhythmia outpatient clinic visits at follow-up was significantly fewer in the ER group than in the late reablation group. In conclusion, ER for early recurrence of AF after catheter ablation might be effective for preventing recurrence during follow-up, especially for paroxysmal AF.

• Authors: Satoshi Yanagisawa, Yasuya Inden, Hiroyuki Kato, Aya Fujii, Yoshiaki Mizutani, Tadahiro Ito, Yosuke Kamikubo, Yasunori Kanzaki, Monami Ando, Makoto Hirai, Rei Shibata, Toyoaki Murohara
• Journal: The American journal of cardiology (Am J Cardiol) Vol. 118 Issue 6 Pg. 833-841 (09 15 2016) ISSN: 1879-1913 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 27453516 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Aged
• Atrial Fibrillation (surgery)
• Case-Control Studies
• Catheter Ablation (methods)
• Early Medical Intervention
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Propensity Score
• Recurrence
• Reoperation (methods)
• Retrospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome