Differential and synergistic effects of right and left atrial ganglionated plexi ablation in patients undergoing cardioneuroablation: results from the ELEGANCE multicenter study.

Background: Cardioneuroablation (CNA) treats reflex syncope by ablating ganglionated plexi (GPs) either confined to the right (RA) or left atrium (LA), or accessible from both. We assessed whether GP ablation in one atrium affects parasympathetic modulation in the other and how ablation sequence (RA then LA, or vice-versa) impacts efficacy.

Methods: Two propensity-matched groups of patients with reflex syncope or functional bradycardia were analyzed.

The Ablate-by-LAWT multicentre prospective study: Personalized paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation with ablation index adapted to local left atrial wall thickness.

Background: Personalized radiofrequency (RF) ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), adapting the ablation index (AI) to local left atrial wall thickness (LAWT), proved to be highly efficient maintaining high arrhythmia-free survival rates. However, multicentre data are lacking. This multicentre, prospective, non-randomized study was conducted at 5 tertiary hospitals and sought to assess the safety, efficacy, and reproducibility of the LAWT-guided ablation for PAF.

Personalized pulmonary vein isolation with very high-power short-duration lesions guided by left atrial wall thickness: the QDOT-by-LAWT randomized trial.

Aims: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) using very high-power short-duration (vHPSD) radiofrequency (RF) ablation proved to be safe and effective. However, vHPSD applications result in shallower lesions that might not be always transmural. Multidetector computed tomography-derived left atrial wall thickness (LAWT) maps could enable a thickness-guided switching from vHPSD to the standard-power ablation mode.

Automatic and interpretable prediction of the site of origin in outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias: machine learning integrating electrocardiograms and clinical data.

The treatment of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OTVA) through radiofrequency ablation requires the precise identification of the site of origin (SOO). Pinpointing the SOO enhances the likelihood of a successful procedure, reducing intervention times and recurrence rates. Current clinical methods to identify the SOO are based on qualitative analysis of pre-operative electrocardiograms (ECG), heavily relying on physician's expertise.

Scar architecture affects the electrophysiological characteristics of induced ventricular arrhythmias in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) detects myocardial scarring, a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The LGE-CMR distinguishes core, borderzone (BZ) fibrosis, and BZ channels, crucial components of re-entry circuits. We studied how scar architecture affects inducibility and electrophysiological traits of VA in HCM.

Assessing left atrial intramyocardial fat infiltration from computerized tomography angiography in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Epicardial adipose tissue might promote atrial fibrillation (AF) in several ways, including infiltrating the underlying atrial myocardium. However, the role of this potential mechanism has been poorly investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of left atrial (LA) infiltrated adipose tissue (inFAT) by analysing multi-detector computer tomography (MDCT)-derived three-dimensional (3D) fat infiltration maps and to compare the extent of LA inFAT between patients without AF history, with paroxysmal, and with persistent AF.

Functional mapping to reveal slow conduction and substrate progression in atrial fibrillation.

Aims: The aim of our study was to analyse the response to short-coupled atrial extrastimuli to identify areas of hidden slow conduction (HSC) and their relationship with the atrial fibrillation (AF) phenotype.

Methods And Results: Twenty consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF and persistent AF (10:10) underwent the first pulmonary vein isolation procedure. Triple short-coupled extrastimuli were delivered in sinus rhythm (SR), and the evoked response was analysed: sites exhibiting double or highly fragmented electrograms (EGM) were defined as positive for HSC (HSC+).

Clinical impact of aging on outcomes of cardioneuroablation for reflex syncope or functional bradycardia: Results from the cardionEuroabLation: patiEnt selection, imaGe integrAtioN and outComEs-The ELEGANCE multicenter study.

Background: Cardioneuroablation (CNA) is a novel treatment for reflex syncope. The effect of aging on CNA efficacy is not fully understood.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of aging on candidacy and efficacy of CNA for treating vasovagal syncope (VVS), carotid sinus syndrome (CSS), and functional bradyarrhythmia.

Personalized pulmonary vein antrum isolation guided by left atrial wall thickness for persistent atrial fibrillation.

Aims: Pulmonary vein (PV) antrum isolation proved to be effective for treating persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF). We sought to investigate the results of a personalized approach aimed at adapting the ablation index (AI) to the local left atrial wall thickness (LAWT) in a cohort of consecutive patients with PeAF.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients referred for PeAF first ablation were prospectively enrolled.

Outcomes of cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent flutter ablation: randomized study comparing single vs. multiple catheter procedures-the SIMPLE study.

Background: Catheter ablation is recommended as first-line therapy for patients with symptomatic typical AFl. Although the conventional multi-catheter approach is the standard of care for cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation, a single-catheter approach was recently described as a feasible alternative. The present study sought to compare safety, efficacy, and efficiency of single vs.

Reproducibility analysis of the computerized tomography angiography-derived left atrial wall thickness maps.

Background: Adapting the ablation index (AI) to the left atrial wall thickness (LAWT) derived from computed tomography angiography (CTA) allows for a personalized approach that showed to improve PVI safety and outcomes.

Methods: Three observers with different degrees of experience performed complete LAWT analysis of CTA for 30 patients and repeated the analysis for 10 of these patients. Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of these segmentations was assessed.

A hybrid clinical and electrocardiographic score to predict the origin of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias.

Background: To predict the outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OTVA) site of origin (SOO) before the ablation procedure has important practical implications. The present study sought to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of a clinical and electrocardiographic hybrid algorithm (HA) for the prediction of OTVAs-SOO, and at the same time to develop and to prospectively validate a new score with improved discriminatory capacity.

Methods: In this multicenter study, we prospectively enrolled consecutive patients referred for OTVA ablation (N = 202), and we divided them in a derivation sample and a validation cohort.

Preventive substrate ablation in chronic post-myocardial infarction patients with high-risk scar characteristics for ventricular arrhythmias: rationale and design of PREVENT-VT study.

Background: Recent studies showed that an early strategy for ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation resulted in reduction of VT episodes or mortality. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived border zone channel (BZC) mass has proved to be a strong non-invasive predictor of VT in post-myocardial infarction (MI). CMR-guided VT substrate ablation proved to be safe and effective for reducing sudden cardiac death (SCD) and VA occurrence.

Relationship between the posterior atrial wall and the esophagus: esophageal position and temperature measurement during atrial fibrillation ablation (AWESOME-AF). A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) implies unavoidable ablation lesions to the left atrial posterior wall, which is closely related to the esophagus, leading to several potential complications. This study evaluates the usefulness of the esophageal fingerprint in avoiding temperature rises during paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) ablation.

Methods: Isodistance maps of the atrio-esophageal relationship (esophageal fingerprint) were derived from the preprocedural computerized tomography.

Relationship between the posterior atrial wall and the esophagus: Esophageal position during atrial fibrillation ablation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation ablation implies a risk of esophageal thermal injury. Esophageal position can be analyzed with imaging techniques, but evidence for esophageal mobility is inconsistent.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze esophageal position stability from one procedure to another and during a single procedure.

Premature ventricular complex site of origin and ablation outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Background: Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are frequent in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Still, the PVCs characteristics as well as the outcomes after catheter ablation in this population remain unknown. Aim of the study was to describe principal features of PVCs ablated in a wide DM-patients cohort and report postablation clinical outcomes in the follow-up of patients with DM and left ventricular dysfunction.