Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Impact of wait times for atrial fibrillation ablation on cumulative health care costs
Authors' conclusion
Patients receiving AF ablation experience distinct phases of cost accumulation, and wait times for ablation have a limited contribution to cumulative costs.
Study context
- Population
- Patients who received atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in Ontario, Canada, between April 2016 and March 2023recipients of de novo AF ablation
- Participants
- 8,403 patients
- Exposure
- Wait times as drivers of health care costs by phase
- Outcome
- Per-patient cumulative health care costs, by phase of cost
- Follow-up
- From AF diagnosis to 1 year after ablation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Diagnosis-to-ablation timeEstimate (95% CI)
Preablation costs; significantly associated with increased costs
RR 1.02 per month(1.02–1.02)
Postablation costs; positively associated, smaller magnitude
RR 1.001 per month increase of diagnosis-to-ablation time(1.000–1.001)
Each row per its own increment, as printed
- Median preablation cost
- $15,353 ($8424-$27,776)
- Median 1-year postablation cost
- $19,929 ($16,595-$25,702)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Preablation costs by medical comorbidity, including heart failure
| Comparison | RR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Medical comorbidity, including heart failure | 1.28 (1.24–1.33) | |
| 0.512Relative risk (log scale) |
- Preablation costs by medical comorbidity, including heart failure: preablation costs; also significantly associated with increased postablation costs
Diagnosis-to-ablation time
- Median diagnosis-to-ablation time
- 29 months (interquartile range 16-50)
Original publication
Impact of wait times for atrial fibrillation ablation on cumulative health care costs. Heart Rhythm. Published 26 February 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it