Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Incidence and predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence during long-term follow-up of patients after PF ablation for atrial fibrillation
- Retrospective cohort study
- single-centre
Authors' conclusion
PV reconnections are frequent in patients presenting for repeat ablations, especially at the anterior PV aspect. A multiple procedure approach estimates arrhythmia-free survival in 86% of patients.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with AF undergoing first pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with a pentaspline pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheter (63% paroxysmal AF, 37% persistent AF)plus 55 redo procedures
- Participants
- 339 patients
- Outcome
- Arrhythmia recurrence after a 90-day blanking period
- Follow-up
- Median 752 (391-1486) days
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Arrhythmia recurrence after 90-day blanking period
- Patients with arrhythmia recurrence
- 34% (n = 116)
- Median time to recurrence
- 218 (90-1161) days
- Electrical cardioversion at end of procedure, independent predictor (multivariate): HR 1.97 (95% CI 1.17-3.33)
- P = 0.011
- AF at beginning of procedure, independent predictor (multivariate): HR 1.73 (95% CI 1.04-2.88)
- P = 0.034
- Additional anterior flower applications protective (univariate)
- P = 0.025
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Atrial tachycardia (AT) after first, second, third and fourth procedure
- AT present after 1st/2nd/3rd/4th procedure
- 16, 37, 0, and 0%
PV reconnection at redo procedures
- Reconnected veins
- 104/221 veins (47%)
- 0/1/2/3/4 reconnected veins
- 9%/31%/27.3%/27.3%/5.4%
- 55 analysed redo procedures
Multiple procedure outcome
- Overall success rate after ≥2 procedures
- 86%
Original publication
Incidence and predictors of AF recurrence during long-term follow-up of patients after PF ablation for atrial fibrillation. Europace. Published 23 March 2026. doi:10.1093/europace/euag057
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it