title: Multielectrode Pulmonary Vein Isolation Versus Single Tip Wide Area Catheter Ablation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Multinational Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Single-shot ablation techniques may facilitate safe and simple pulmonary vein isolation to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Multielectrode pulmonary vein isolation versus single tip wide area catheter ablation-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is the first multinational, multicenter, prospective, noninferiority randomized clinical trial comparing multielectrode-phased radiofrequency ablation (MEA) to standard focal irrigated radiofrequency ablation (STA) using 3-dimensional navigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were randomized to MEA (61 patients) or STA (59 patients). Preprocedure transesophageal echocardiogram and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (also 6-month postprocedure) were performed. Mean age was 57 years, 25% female sex, BMI was 28, CHA2DS2-VASc score was 0 to 1 in 82%, 8% had previous right atrial ablation, whereas all had at least 1 antiarrhythmic drug failure. The MEA group had significantly shorter mean procedure time (96±36 versus 166±46 minutes, P<0.001) and fluoroscopy time (23±9 versus 27±9 minutes, P=0.023). The total radiofrequency energy duration was 22±8 minutes for MEA versus 36±13 minutes for STA (P<0.001) with confirmed pulmonary vein isolation in all patients. Hospital admission was 1 day in both groups, without major adverse events either during the procedure or during 30-day follow-up. Two patients in the STA group had 1 PV with asymptomatic narrowing >50%. Freedom of atrial fibrillation for MEA and STA was 86.4% and 89.7% at 6 months, dropping to 76.3% and 81.0% at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this multicenter, randomized clinical trial, MEA and STA had similar rates of single-procedure acute pulmonary vein isolation without serious adverse events in the first 30 days. MEA had slightly lower long-term arrhythmia freedom, but showed marked and significantly shorter procedure, fluoroscopy, and radiofrequency energy times.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01696136.
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.). l.boersma@antoniusziekenhuis.nl.
authors.forename: Lucas V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Pepijn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van der Voort
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Pilippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debruyne
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Simmers
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rossenbacker
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Jippe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balt
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Maurits
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wijffels
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiology Department, St. Antonius Ziekenhuis, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands (L.V.B., J.B., M.W.); Cardiology Department, Catharina Ziekenhuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (P.v.d.V., L.D., T.S.); Cardiology Department, Imelda Ziekenhuis, Bonheiden, Belgium (P.D., T.R.); and Cardiology Department, AZ Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium (Y.D.).
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Degreef
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; fluoroscopy; freedom; pulmonary vein