Trial reportBMJ open2017
Randomised clinical trial of cryoballoon versus irrigated radio frequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation-the effect of double short versus standard exposure cryoablation duration during pulmonary vein isolation (CIRCA-DOSE): methods and rationale.
Trial report in BMJ open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01913522 (Cryoballoon vs. Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation), which is not on this map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Cryoballoon vs. Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation: The Effect of Double Short vs. Standard Exposure Cryoablation Duration During Pulmonary Vein Isolation.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Cryoballoon versus radiofrequency ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2018Pooled it
- Wide-Antral pulmonary vein isolation in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation with a Single-Shot technique: rationale and design of the WIDER-PVI trial.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026Trial
- Randomized trial of conventional versus radiofrequency needle transseptal puncture for cryoballoon ablation: the CRYO-LATS trial.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2022Trial
- Autonomic Alterations After Pulmonary Vein Isolation in the CIRCA-DOSE (Cryoballoon vs Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation) Study.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2021Trial
- Association of Atrial Fibrillation Episode Duration With Arrhythmia Recurrence Following Ablation: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2020Trial
- Wearable smartwatches for atrial fibrillation detection and burden estimation after ablation: comparison with continuous monitoring.Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2026Article
- Phrenic nerve palsy during cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation: a minor complication or a wolf in sheep's clothing? Insights on late arrhythmia recurrences from a propensity score-matched analysis.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Article
- Catheter Ablation as First-Line Therapy in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Patient Characteristics and Clinical Outcomes.JACC. Clinical electrophysiology · 2024Observational
- Real-world safety of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation with contact force or cryoballoon ablation.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2021Article
- The Cryoballoon vs Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation (CIRCA-DOSE) Study Results in Context.Arrhythmia & electrophysiology review · 2020Review
- Cryoablation for atrial fibrillation.Heart rhythm O2 · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionPulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an effective therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), but it has limitations. The two most significant recent advances have centred on the integration of real-time quantitative assessment of catheter contact force into focal radio frequency (RF) ablation catheters and the development of dedicated ablation tools capable of achieving PVI with a single ablation lesion (Arctic Front cryoballoon, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Although each of these holds promise for improving the clinical success of catheter ablation of AF, there has not been a rigorous comparison of these advanced ablation technologies. Moreover, the optimal duration of cryoablation (freezing time) has not been determined. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Patients undergoing an initial PVI procedure for paroxysmal AF will be recruited. Patients will be randomised 1:1:1 between contact-force irrigated RF ablation, short duration cryoballoon ablation (2 min applications) and standard duration cryoballoon ablation (4 min applications). The primary outcome is time to first documented AF recurrence on implantable loop recorder. With a sample size of 111 per group and a two-sided 0.025 significance level (to account for the two main comparisons), the study will have 80% power (using a log-rank test) to detect a difference of 20% between contact force RF catheter ablation and either of the two cryoballoon ablation groups. Factoring in a 4% loss to follow-up, 116 patients per group should be randomised and followed for a year (total study population of 348). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the University of British Columbia Office of Research (Services) Ethics Clinical Research Ethics Board. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01913522; Pre-results.
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