Low-Voltage Myocardium-Guided Ablation Trial of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Clinically effective ablation approaches for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are still being debated. So far, ablation targets and strategies beyond pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) have failed to show systematic outcome improvement in randomized controlled clinical trials. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to determine whether PVI plus individualized substrate ablation of atrial low-voltage myocardium improves outcome in patients with persistent AF.

Effect of concomitant Renal DeNervation and cardiac ablation on Atrial Fibrillation recurrence - RDN+AF study.

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) can reduce cardiac sympathetic activity maintained by arterial hypertension (aHT). Its potential antiarrhythmic effect on rhythm outcome in patients with multi-drug resistant aHT undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear.

Methods: The RDN+AF study was a prospective, randomized, two-center trial.

Left Atrial Isolation and Appendage Occlusion in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation at End-Stage Left Atrial Fibrotic Disease.

[Figure: see text].

Left atrial phasic transport function closely correlates with fibrotic and arrhythmogenic atrial tissue degeneration in atrial fibrillation patients: cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking and voltage mapping.

Aims: To characterize the association of phasic left atrial (LA) transport function and LA fibrosis guided by multimodality imaging containing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) feature tracking and bipolar voltage mapping.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients presenting for first-time ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) were prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent CMR prior to the ablation procedure.

Left atrial fibrosis predicts left ventricular ejection fraction response after atrial fibrillation ablation in heart failure patients: the Fibrosis-HF Study.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist. Catheter ablation has been reported to restore left ventricular (LV) function but patients benefit differently. This study investigated the correlation between left atrial (LA) fibrosis extent and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery after AF ablation.

Electrophysiological findings during atrial fibrillation reablation: Extending from pulmonary vein reconnection to sequential bipolar voltage map information.

Background: Left atrial substrate modification targeting low voltage zones (LVZ) is an ablation strategy that-in addition to pulmonary vein (PV) isolation-tries to eliminate arrhythmogenic mechanisms harbored in such tissue. Electrophysiological findings at reablation include (a) PV reconnection, (b) reconnection over previous substrate ablation, and (c) de-novo LVZ.

Objective: To study, prevalence and contribution of these arrhythmogenic electrophysiological entities in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences.

Continuous monitoring after atrial fibrillation ablation: the LINQ AF study.

Aims: To study device performance, arrhythmia recurrence characteristics, and methods of outcome assessment using a novel implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods And Results: In 419 consecutive patients undergoing first-time catheter ablation for symptomatic paroxysmal (n = 224) or persistent (n = 195) AF an ICM was injected at the end of the procedure. Telemedicine staff ensured full episode transmission coverage and manually evaluated all automatic arrhythmia episodes.

Endo-/Epicardial Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: Feasibility, Outcome, and Insights Into Arrhythmia Mechanisms.

Background: Until today, catheter interventional mapping and ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been limited to the right and left atrial endocardium. We report feasibility, electrophysiological findings, and clinical outcome using a combined endo-/epicardial catheter approach for mapping and ablation of AF.

Methods And Results: Fifty-nine patients with permanence of pulmonary vein isolation and further symptomatic recurrences of paroxysmal AF, persistent AF, or atrial tachycardia underwent reablation using biatrial endo-/epicardial mapping and ablation.