title: Repeated provocation of time- and ATP-induced early pulmonary vein reconnections after pulmonary vein isolation: eliminating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in a single procedure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) occurs mainly due to the reconnection of the once isolated PV. Although provocation and elimination of the early pulmonary vein reconnection (EPVR) soon after PVI has been widely performed to improve the outcome, AF recurrence due to subsequent PV reconnections still occurs. In this study, we repeatedly provoked and eliminated the EPVR to determine the appropriate procedural end point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five patients with paroxysmal AF underwent PVI. EPVR was provoked by both time and ATP induction every 30 minutes until 90 minutes after the individual isolation of all PVs. The number of reconnected atrio-PV gaps were evaluated and reablated at each provocation step. Although both time- and ATP-dependent EPVR was induced most frequently at 30 minutes after PVI (75 and 76 gaps, respectively), the prevalence of induced EPVR at 60 minutes was still high (64 and 36 gaps induced by time and ATP, respectively). Only a small number of EPVR appeared at 90 minutes after the elimination of all EPVR by 60 minutes (8 gaps, P<0.01). During the mean follow-up period of 370 days, 92% of cases were free from AF without antiarrhythmic drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Provocation and elimination of time- and ATP-induced EPVR not only at 30 minutes but also at 60 minutes is recommended after PVI to improve its efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. yamanet1@aol.com
authors.forename: Teiichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamane
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lellouche
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hioki
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Narui
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanigawa
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Michifumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.forename: Kenri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibayama
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyanaga
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate