CONTACT FORCE TECHNOLOGY IS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER OUTCOME IN PERSISTENT COMPARED WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION CATHETER ABLATION: 1 YEAR FOLLOW UP
G. Sirico, S. Panigada, D. Sacchetta, M.Pozzi, V. De Sanctis, M. Mantica
Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Unit Istituto Clinico Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy
Introduction: Persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) is associated with higher incidence of AF recurrences after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) compared to paroxysmal AF (PAF). Real-time measurement of contact force (CF) during RFCA potentially impacts outcome.
Methods : 260 patients, affected by PAF (165) and PeAF (95), underwent first RFCA based on pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Left atrial lines were performed on top of PVI in PeAF. Of all patients, 102 underwent CF (CF group) and 158 non CF (non-CF group) guided RFCA.
Results:
Patients were followed for 23±11 months. At 1-year follow up, CF group showed lower incidence rate of AF recurrence than conventional RFCA (10.8% vs 20.8%, respectively; log rank P=0.04). In non CF group, PeAF was associated with higher incidence rate of AF recurrence than PAF (p=0.046), while in CF group, there was no difference between the two types of AF. In PeAF patients, use of CF technology significantly reduced AF recurrences at 1-year follow up compared with conventional RFCA (42% vs 22%, p=0.01).
Conclusions: CF technology is associated with better outcome when integrates conventional AF RFCA and this effect seems higher in PeAF than in PAF context after 1-year follow up.
