Efficacy, High Procedural Safety And Rapid Optimization Of Cryoballoon Atrial Fibrillation Ablation In The Hands Of A New Operator.

BACKGROUND Cryoballoon (CB) ablation is successful in eliminating atrial fibrillation (AF). PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess procedural efficacy and safety of CB ablation performed by a newly trained operator. METHODS Forty patients with documented paroxysmal AF (58 ± 11 years, 26 male) undergoing CB catheter ablation were prospectively enrolled. RESULTS Electrical pulmonary vein (PV) isolation was achieved in all patients (156 PVs). The primary end point (PV isolation using CB only) was reached in 31 patients (92% PV isolation, 144/156 PVs). In the remaining 9 patients (12 PVs), additional single point cryofocal ablations were required to achieve isolation of all veins (LSPV, n = 5; LIPV, n = 3; LCPV, n = 2; RSPV, n = 1; RIPV, n = 1). There was no vascular access complication, pericardial effusion/tamponade, stroke/transient ischemic attack, phrenic nerve palsy, acute PV stenosis, or atrioesophageal fistula. The procedure duration decreased with experience by 30% from 155 min during the first 10 procedures to 108 min (final 10 treatments). Similar effects were observed with fluoroscopy time (-57%; from 28 min to 12 min), dose area product (-66%; from 22 Gy x cm2 to 8 Gy x cm2), CB time in the left atrium (-24%; from 99 min to 75 min), and cryoenergy delivery time (-19%; from 83 min to 67 min), when comparing cases #1-10 to cases #30-40. CONCLUSIONS CB ablation of AF is effective and safe in the hands of a new operator. Procedure and fluoroscopy times decrease with user experience.