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. 2014 May;16(5):639-44.
doi: 10.1093/europace/eut417. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Second-generation cryoballoon ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: 1-year follow-up

Gian-Battista Chierchia  1 , Giacomo Di Giovanni, Giuseppe Ciconte, Carlo de Asmundis, Giulio Conte, Juan Sieira-Moret, Moises Rodriguez-Mañero, Ruben Casado, Giannis Baltogiannis, Mehdi Namdar, Yukio Saitoh, Gaetano Paparella, Giacomo Mugnai, Pedro Brugada
Affiliations

Second-generation cryoballoon ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: 1-year follow-up

Gian-Battista Chierchia et al. Europace. 2014 May.

Abstract

Background: The novel cryoballoon Advance (CB-A) has proven to achieve significantly lower temperatures and faster pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) times in comparison with the first-generation device. Although acutely very effective, to the best of our knowledge, data on mid-term clinical follow-up is lacking.

Aims: The aim of the study was to analyse the freedom from recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on a 1-year follow-up period, in a series of consecutive patients having undergone PVI with the CB-A for paroxysmal AF (PAF).

Methods and results: Forty-two patients [30 male (71%); mean age: 57.9 ± 21.1 years] were included. All patients underwent a procedure with the large 28 mm CB-A. A total 168 PVs were depicted on the pre-procedural computed tomography scan. All PVs (100%) could be isolated with the CB only. The freedom from AF off-antiarrhythmic drug treatment after a single procedure was 78% of patients at a mean 11.6 ± 2.0 months follow-up. If considering a blanking period (BP) of 3 months, success rate was 83%. Phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) was the most frequent complication occurring in 19% of individuals.

Conclusion: The CB-A is very effective in producing PVI and affords freedom from AF at 12 months follow-up in 83% of patients affected by drug-resistant PAF following a 3-month BP. The most frequent complication observed was PNP which occurred in 19% of patients. All PNP reverted during follow-up.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cryoballoon; Mid-term outcomes; Pulmonary vein isolation.

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