Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: Results from a European survey
Authors' conclusion
This survey highlights some discrepancies between the routine clinical practice of European physicians performing AF ablation and European guidelines, emphasizing the need for better integration of emerging technologies and greater adherence to updated protocols across Europe.
Study context
- Population
- Physicians from European countries performing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablationphysicians from 23 European countries
- Participants
- 203 physicians
- Outcome
- Participant characteristics
Methodological detailsonline-based questionnaire, additional set of questions sent to all participants 6 months later
- Online-based questionnaire
- Additional set of questions sent to all participants 6 months later
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
> 10 years of experience as electrophysiologists
53%
Worked in university hospitals
58%
Worked in centers performing more than 400 procedures annually
63%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Preprocedural imaging
- Routinely used
- 53%
- Computed tomography most common modality
- 47.7%
Periprocedural management
- General anesthesia used
- 42.4%
- Physicians do not interrupt anticoagulants before the procedure
- 29.6%
Paroxysmal AF ablation strategy
- Pulmonary vein isolation main strategy
- 93%
- Point-by-point radiofrequency (RF) predominant energy source
- 68%
- Physicians performing RF adopting a high-power strategy (> 50 W)
- 65%
Persistent AF ablation
- High-density mapping catheters used
- 82.8%
- Perform additional lesions beyond pulmonary vein isolation, most commonly targeting low-voltage areas and aiming at posterior wall isolation
- 66.4%
Switch to pulsed field ablation between the 2 phases of the survey
- Half of the physicians switched from RF or cryoballoon to pulsed field ablation
Monitoring AF recurrence
- Intermittent use of 24-hour Holter primary strategy
- 44.3%
Original publication
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