Extended Period Outcomes of Posterior Box Isolation in 4 Randomized Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation Trials.

Catheter-based electrical posterior box isolation (POBI) and circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) do not improve the rhythmic outcomes of atrial fibrillation catheter ablation in previous studies with 12 to 24 months of follow-up. The authors analyzed the long-term rhythm outcomes of our 4 previously conducted randomized controlled trials comparing CPVI alone vs CPVI plus additional POBI using the intention-to-treat principle. The authors analyzed 575 AF patients included in our 4 previous randomized controlled trials. We compared clinical recurrence defined as recurrent atrial arrhythmia after the index procedure. In patients who underwent a repeat procedure because of recurrence after the index procedure, the mechanism of recurrence was analyzed. After a median follow-up of 48 months, there were no significant differences in the clinical recurrence or major adverse cardiac events between the CPVI alone and CPVI plus POBI groups. The procedure time was significantly longer, and the atrial tachycardia recurrence rate was higher in the CPVI plus POBI group. In the patients who experienced clinical recurrence, there were no significant differences in the rates of cardioversion or need for repeat procedures between the groups. In patients who underwent a repeat procedure because of recurrence after the index procedure (n = 64), the pulmonary vein reconnection rate did not differ, but re-entrant atrial tachycardia was more common in the CPVI plus POBI group, while extrapulmonary vein triggers were more common in the CPVI alone group. The addition of POBI to CPVI did not improve the long-term rhythm outcomes in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation catheter ablation. (The Evaluation for Prognostic Factors After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation, NCT02138695; Evaluation of Proper Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation Strategy for the Patients Who Were Changed to Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation From Persistent Atrial Fibrillation, NCT02176616; Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone Versus Linear Ablation in Addition to Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Catheter Ablation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial, NCT02721121; Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation and Complex Pulmonary Vein Isolation Additional Linear Ablation for Recurred Atrial Fibrillation After Previous Catheter Ablation: Prospective Randomized Trial [RILI Trial]; NCT02747498.

Lee SJ ，Yu HT ，Choi SH ，Kim D ，Kim TH ，Uhm JS ，Joung B ，Lee MH ，Pak HN ... -  《-》

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation by pulmonary vein isolation with or without left atrial posterior wall isolation: long-term outcomes of the CAPLA trial.

Posterior wall isolation (PWI) is commonly incorporated into catheter ablation (CA) strategies for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in an attempt to improve outcomes. In the CAPLA randomized study, adjunctive PWI did not improve freedom from atrial arrhythmia at 12 months compared with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone. Whether additional PWI reduces arrhythmia recurrence over the longer term remains unknown. In this multicenter, international, randomized study patients with persistent AF undergoing index CA using radiofrequency (RF) were randomized to PVI+PWI versus PVI alone. Patients underwent regular follow-up including rhythm monitoring for a minimum of 3 years post CA. AF burden at 3 years post-ablation was evaluated with either 28-day continuous ambulatory ECG monitoring, twice daily single-lead ECG or from cardiac implanted device. Evaluated endpoints included freedom from any documented atrial arrhythmia recurrence after a single procedure, AF burden, need for redo catheter ablation, rhythm at last clinical follow-up, healthcare utilisation metrics and AF-related quality of life. 333 of 338 (98.5%) patients (mean age 64.3±9.4 years, 23% female) completed 3-year follow-up, with 169 patients randomized to PVI+PWI and 164 patients to PVI alone. At a median of 3.62 years post-index ablation, freedom from recurrent atrial arrhythmia occurred in 59 patients (35.5%) randomized to PVI+PWI vs 68 patients (42.1%) randomized to PVI alone (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.88-1.51, p=0.55). Median time to recurrent atrial arrhythmia was 0.53 years (IQR 0.34-1.01 years). Redo ablation was performed in 54 patients (32.0%) in the PVI+PWI group vs 49 patients (29.9%, p=0.68) in the PVI alone group. Pulmonary vein reconnection was present in 54.5% (mean number of reconnected PVs 2.2±0.9) and posterior wall reconnection in 75%. Median AF burden at 3 years was 0% in both groups (IQR 0-0.85% PVI+PWI vs 0-1.43% PVI alone, p=0.49). Sinus rhythm at final clinical follow-up was present in 85.1% with PVI+PWI vs 87.1% with PVI alone (p=0.60). Mean AF Effect On Quality-Of-Life (AFEQT) score at 3 years post-ablation was 88.0±14.8 with PVI+PWI vs 88.9±15.4 with PVI alone (p=0.63). In patients with persistent AF, the addition of PWI to PVI alone at index RF catheter ablation did not significantly improve freedom from atrial arrhythmia recurrence at long-term follow-up. Median AF burden remains low and AF quality of life high at 3 years with either ablation strategy.

William J ，Chieng D ，Curtin AG ，Sugumar H ，Ling LH ，Segan L ，Crowley R ，Iyer A ，Prabhu S ，Voskoboinik A ，Morton JB ，Lee G ，McLellan AJ ，Pathak RK ，Sterns L ，Ginks M ，Reid CM ，Sanders P ，Kalman JM ，Kistler PM ... -  《-》

Electrical Posterior Box Isolation in Repeat Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Study.

This study investigated whether additional electrical posterior box isolation (POBI) may improve the rhythm outcome of repeat ablation in atrial fibrillation (AF). Although electrically reconnected pulmonary veins (PVs) are the main mechanism of AF recurrence, it is unclear whether linear ablation in addition to circumferential PV isolation (CPVI) improves rhythm outcomes after repeat ablation. The authors prospectively randomized 150 patients with PV reconnection undergoing redo procedures to either a CPVI-alone group (n = 75) or an additional POBI group (n = 75). The primary endpoint was AF recurrence after a single procedure, and the secondary endpoints were recurrence pattern, cardioversion rate, and response to antiarrhythmic drugs. After a median follow-up of 17 months, the clinical recurrence rate did not significantly differ between the CPVI-alone and additional-POBI groups (30.7% vs 30.7%; log-rank P =0.828). Of the 46 patients with clinical recurrence, the recurrences as atrial tachycardia (8.7% vs 30.4%; P =0.137) and cardioversion rates (21.7% vs 47.8%; P =0.122) were not significantly different between the CPVI-alone and additional-POBI groups. Major complication rates did not differ between the 2 groups (1.3% vs 5.3%; P = 0.363), but the total ablation time was significantly longer in the additional-POBI group than in the CPVI-alone group (median: 1,084 [IQR: 704-1,664] vs 1,595 [IQR: 1,244-2,302] seconds; P < 0.001). Among patients undergoing redo AF ablation with reconnected PVs, the addition of POBI to CPVI did not improve rhythm outcomes or influence overall safety, whereas leading to a longer ablation time than that with CPVI alone. (Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation and Complex Pulmonary Vein Isolation Additional Linear Ablation for Recurred Atrial Fibrillation After Previous Catheter Ablation: Prospective Randomized Trial [RILI Trial]; NCT02747498).

Kim D ，Yu HT ，Kim TH ，Uhm JS ，Joung B ，Lee MH ，Pak HN ... -  《-》

The Electrical Isolation of the Left Atrial Posterior Wall in Catheter Ablation of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

This study explored whether complete electrical isolation of the left atrial (LA) posterior wall improves the rhythm outcome of catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Although the STAR AF2 (Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation Trial Part II) proved no additional benefit of empirical extra-pulmonary vein (PV) LA ablation, the long-term recurrence rate after circumferential PV isolation (CPVI) alone remains high. We randomly assigned 217 patients with persistent AF (83.1% men, age 58.7 ± 10.8 years, 73.3% long-standing persistent AF) to ablation with CPVI alone (CPVI group) or CPVI with a POsterior wall Box Isolation (POBI group). The endpoint of the POBI group was the elimination of the posterior atrial potentials by roof and posterior inferior lines and touch-up focal ablation. After a mean follow-up of 16.2 ± 8.8 months, the clinical recurrence rate did not significantly differ between the 2 groups (23.8% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.779) in the CPVI and POBI groups. The recurrence rate for atrial tachycardias (16.0% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.913) and cardioversion rates (6.7% vs. 13.7%; p = 0.093) to control clinical recurrences also did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. At the final follow-up, sinus rhythm was maintained without antiarrhythmic drug in 50.5% and 55.9% in the CPVI and POBI groups, respectively (p = 0.522). No significant difference was found in the major complication rates between the 2 groups, but the total ablation time was significantly longer in the POBI group (4,289 ± 1,837 s vs. 5,365 ± 2,358 s; p < 0.001). In patients with persistent AF, an empirical complete POBI did not improve the rhythm outcome of catheter ablation or influence the type of recurrent atrial arrhythmia. (Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone Versus Linear Ablation in Addition to Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Catheter Ablation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial; NCT02721121).

Lee JM ，Shim J ，Park J ，Yu HT ，Kim TH ，Park JK ，Uhm JS ，Kim JB ，Joung B ，Lee MH ，Kim YH ，Pak HN ，POBI-AF Investigators ... -  《-》

Comparison of Long-Term Clinical Outcomes Between Segmental and Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients Undergoing Repeat Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.

Wu SJ ，Lo LW ，Chung FP ，Lin YJ ，Chang SL ，Hu YF ，Hsieh YC ，Li CH ，Tuan TC ，Chao TF ，Liao JN ，Lin CY ，Chang TY ，Kuo L ，Liu CM ，Liu SH ，Wu CI ，Weng CJ ，Kuo MJ ，Li GY ，Huang YS ，Bautista JA ，Siow YK ，Ngoc NDS ，Chen SA ... -  《-》