title: Cryoballoon ablation in young patients with lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term efficacy following cryoballoon ablation of lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation remains unknown. We describe long-term follow-up results of the single cryoballoon ablation procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary vein isolation was performed in 103 patients (72 male; median age 52 years) with symptomatic lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The end-point of this observational cohort study was first electrocardiogram-documented recurrence of arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, or atrial flutter) during the 5-year follow-up, in the absence of anti-arrhythmic treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute complete pulmonary vein isolation was achieved in 86% of the patients with a single cryoballoon. The 6-month, 1-year, and 5-year success rate after a single procedure was 94%, 91%, and 77%, respectively. Arrhythmia recurrence was observed in 24 cases at a median of 14.8 months [range, 8.0-16.8 months]. Thirteen symptomatic patients were well controlled on beta-blockers only. Seven symptomatic patients had anti-arrhythmic treatment (class IC in 5 patients; dronedarone in 2 patients) introduced during the blanking period. Two of them had early arrhythmia recurrence within the blanking period only; they were arrhythmia-free in further follow-up on dronedarone. The rate of complications was relatively low and included a 4.8% incidence of transient phrenic nerve palsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single cryoballoon ablation procedure for lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation resulted in high rates of acute, medium-term, and long-term efficacy. The rate of complications is relatively low and includes a 4.8% incidence of transient phrenic nerve palsy.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany; Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
authors: Maciej
authors: M
authors: Wójcik
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Berkowitsch
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors: Sergey
authors: S
authors: Zaltsberg
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany; Department of Cardiology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Christian W
authors: CW
authors: Hamm
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors: Heinz F
authors: HF
authors: Pitschner
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany; Department of Cardiology, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany. Electronic address: t.neumann@kerckhoff-klinik.de.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Neumann
authors: Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Heart and Thorax Center, Bad Nauheim, Germany.
authors: Malte
authors: M
authors: Kuniss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Ablación con criobalón; Atrial fibrillation; Cryoballoon ablation; Fibrilación auricular; Fibrilación auricular paroxística; Long-term outcome; Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; Resultados a largo plazo