Impact of Diagnosis-to-Ablation Time on AF Recurrence: Pronounced the First 3 Years, Irrelevant Thereafter.

Background: Diagnosis-to-ablation time (DAT) strongly predicts recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after ablation. Whether this association holds with any lower and/or upper limits is unknown.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the impact of DAT on AF recurrence in search of lower and upper DAT thresholds.

The absence of real-time pulmonary vein isolation during cryoballoon ablation is associated with atrial fibrillation recurrence and pulmonary vein reconnection : Insights from the Middelheim-PVI Registry 2.

Background: Absence of real-time pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) occurring in 15-40% of PVs during cryoballoon ablation (CBA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) raises doubt about adequate PVI. Aim of the present study is to determine whether real-time PVI during CBA is predictive of long-term clinical outcome and durability of PVI.

Methods: Eight hundred three AF patients (64 ± 10 years, 68% males) undergoing CBA were studied.

Electroanatomical mapping improves procedural outcomes of cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (the Achieve Plus study).

Background: Validation of pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) using only the Achieve catheter following cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is imperfect since pulmonary vein potentials (PVP) can be recorded in only 50-85% of the veins and residual PVP are found in up to 4.3-7.6% of the isolated veins in remapping studies.