Durability of thermal pulmonary vein isolation in persistent atrial fibrillation assessed by mandated repeat invasive study.

Background: No study has assessed the durability of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with radiofrequency (RF) and cryoballoon (CB) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. These data are especially lacking for those with significantly diseased left atria (LA).

Objectives: The goals of this study were to assess PVI durability in patients with significant LA disease and to compare reconnection rates between RF and CB.

Methods: Forty-four patients (mean age 63 years; 34 (77%) male; median time since atrial fibrillation diagnosis 22.5 months; median indexed LA volume 36 mL/m) were randomized 1:1 to RF or CB PVI. A redo procedure using ultra-high-density electroanatomic mapping was mandated at 2 months, where PV reconnections were identified and reisolated.

Results: Thirty-eight patients underwent both procedures (CB n = 17; RF n = 21). Index RF procedures were longer (median 158 minutes vs 97 minutes; P < .001) but required less fluoroscopy (9.5 minutes vs 23 minutes; P < .001). At the index RF procedure, a median of 47% of LA myocardium had voltage < 0.5 mV, suggesting that half of the mapped LA comprised scar. PV reconnection was observed in 73 of 152 PVs (48.0%) and was more frequent with CB (58.8%) than with RF (39.3%) (P = .022). Reconnection of at least 1 PV was detected in >75% of patients. Significantly more ablation was required during the redo procedure to reisolate PVs in the CB arm (median 10.8 minutes vs 1.2 minutes; P < .001).

Conclusion: PVI durability may be poor in those with significant LA scarring and dilatation, even with modern thermal ablation technologies. RF resulted in significantly better PVI durability than did CB in this complex population.