[Comparison of different pulmonary vein isolation strategies for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation].
OBJECTIVE
To compare two catheter ablation strategies for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).


METHODS
Fifty consecutive patients who underwent PV isolation by circumferential PV ablation (CPVA group) were compared with 50 consecutive patients who underwent PV isolation by segmental PV ablation (SPVA group). The enrolled subjects in this retrospective study were patients with frequent attacks (more than 3 times per month) and symptomatic PAF. Procedure-related parameters, safety and clinical outcome within 6 months after procedures for the 2 strategies were analyzed.


RESULTS
The characteristics and mean procedure time were comparable between the 2 groups. The mean fluoroscopy time and mean ablation time were 57 min +/- 11 min and 42 min +/- 9 min in the SPVA group and 31 min +/- 8 min and 61 min +/- 13 min in the CPVA group (both P < 0.01), respectively. After the first procedure, symptomatic atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATa) recurred in 24 (48%) of 50 patients who underwent SPVA and 15 (30%) of 50 patients who underwent CPVA within 3 months (P = 0.10). During 6 months of follow-up, 82% of patients with CPVA and 60% of patients with SPVA were free of symptomatic ATa without any antiarrhythmic drugs for at least 3 months (P < 0.05). One patient per each group developed asymptomatic right superior PV stenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with PAF, CPVA compares favorably with SPVA, but either of them yields a similar clinical safety.
Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing 100029, China.
Xing-peng
XP
Liu
Chang-sheng
CS
Ma
Jian-zeng
JZ
Dong
De-yong
DY
Long
Xiao-qing
XQ
Liu
Jing
J
Wang
Dong-ping
DP
Fang
Peng
P
Hao
Xiao-hui
XH
Liu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult