Comparison of Radiofrequency and Cryoballoon Pulmonary Vein Ablation for the Early and Late Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation

OBJECTIVE: Early recurrence (ER) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is expected to resolve within the recommended 3-month blanking period, irrespective of the ablation device used. To compare the occurrence and relationship of AF within the blanking period and subsequent late recurrence (LR) with radiofrequency (RF) and cryoballoon (CB) ablation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 294 patients (mean age=62±9, 70.0% male) undergoing PVI for drug-refractory paroxysmal AF was done. After categorizing the patients into the RF group (n=152) and the CB group (n=142), a group-wise comparison was done to investigate the impact of ER on LR throughout a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: The groups were similar regarding the occurrence of ER (RF=22.4%, CB=24.6%, p=0.62), while LR was significantly higher in the RF group (p=0.003). ER was associated with LR in the RF group (p<0.01) but not in the CB group (p=0.08), while a significant independent association with an increased LR risk was observed [hazard ratio (HR) 6.12; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.56-10.51, p<0.01]. RF ablation also significantly increased the risk of LR (HR=2.93; 95% CI=1.64-5.23, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: A recurrence of atrial arrhythmia is more frequent with RF-PVI than with CB-PVI for patients with paroxysmal AF. ER and RF-ablation are strong predictors for LR after the 3-month blanking period.