Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32326885›Full record

ArticleBMC cardiovascular disorders2020

Comparison of pulmonary vein reconnection patterns after multielectrode phased radiofrequency- and cryoballoon ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Marcus Wieczorek, Kiarash Sassani, Reinhard Hoeltgen

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cardiovascular disorders, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Durability of pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis and systematic review.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 · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Left atrial wall thickness correlates with pulmonary vein reconnection following atrial fibrillation ablation.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2025
    Article
  4. 2-year outcomes of phased radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation with the second-generation PVAC Gold ablation catheter.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2022
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marcus WieczorekSchool of Medicine; Department of Cardiology and Electrophysiology, Witten/Herdecke University, St. Agnes-Hospital Bocholt, Barloer Weg 125, 46397, Bocholt, Germany. drmwieczorek@t-online.de.
Kiarash SassaniSt. Agnes-Hospital Bocholt, Barloer Weg 125, 46397, Bocholt, Germany.
Reinhard HoeltgenSt. Agnes-Hospital Bocholt, Barloer Weg 125, 46397, Bocholt, Germany.
Indiana University School of Medicine

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using phased radiofrequency (RF) energy has been shown to be effective in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF).

methodsWe characterize and compare pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection at repeat ablation in patients with AF after initially successful PVI using phased RF technology (PVAC) or 2nd generation cryoballoon (CB). Eighty five patients undergoing redo PVI using multielectrode PVAC phased RF catheter and 66 patients after CB PVI were enrolled 9.7 ± 3.4 months after the initial ablation procedure.

resultsThe percentage of patients with PV reconnection(s) was comparably high between both groups (93% PVAC and 92% CB). However, 75% of all PVs and left common trunks (CTs) isolated with PVAC were reconnected, compared with 52% reconnections after CB PVI (p < 0.001). A mean of 2.79 ± 1.2 PVs and CTs/patient were reconnected after PVAC PVI compared with 1.97 ± 0.8 in CB patients, p < 0.0001. No patients in the CB group had 4 reconnected PVs, while this pattern of reconnection was observed in 33% in the PVAC group (p < 0.0001). The percentage of patients in the PVAC group with ≥3 reconnected PVs was significantly higher compared with CB patients (56 patients (66%) vs. 17 patients (26%), p < 0.0001), while the percentage of patients with no PV reconnection was comparably low in PVAC and CB patients (7 and 8%, respectively). CTs were most frequently reconnected after PVAC PVI (94%) and left superior PVs after CB ablation (67%), respectively.

conclusionsThe number of patients with recurrent AF and PV reconnection(s) at redo PVI was comparably high between both groups. However, the extent and distribution of PV reconnections was different in many aspects, indicating more stable atrial lesions after CB PVI compared with PVAC technology.

Indexed as

Action PotentialsHeart RateAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAtrial FibrillationCatheter AblationCryosurgeryFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPulmonary VeinsRecurrenceRetrospective StudiesTime FactorsAtrial fibrillationCryoballoonPhased radiofrequencyPulmonary vein isolationPulmonary vein reconnection

Identifiers

PMID32326885
PMCPMC7181531
OpenAlexW3018484281

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.