Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Pulmonary Vein Reconnection Characteristics After Index Pulsed Field vs Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
- retrospective multicenter observational study
- consecutive patients
Authors' conclusion
In patients undergoing repeat ablation for recurrent AF, reconnection more commonly involved the left PVs, was more extensive, and required significantly more ablation following index pentaspline PFA compared with index point-by-point RFA. No direct comparison of PVI durability can be made between PFA and RFA based on these results.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing high-density multipolar mapping and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) with pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection following index RFA or PFA, enrolled between March 2024 and October 2025underwent redo ablation following index pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) · index RFA 53 · index PFA 50
- Participants
- 103 patients
- Exposure
- PFA vs RFA
- PFAn = 50
- RFAn = 53
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PFA
2.7
± 1
RFA
2.0
± 0.8
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Reconnection of the left PVs · more frequent post-PFA
P < 0.01
Reconnection of the right PVs · no difference
P = 1.0
Extent of PV reconnection · greater post-PFA
P < 0.001
Location of PV reconnection
- PV reconnection was more common anteriorly post-PFA vs posterior and carinal post-RFA
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it