Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33011920›Full record

ArticleJournal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing2021

Comparative efficacy and safety of catheter ablation interventions for atrial fibrillation: comprehensive network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Xinbin Zhou, Jin Dai, Xiaoming Xu, Miaojun Lian, Yang Lou, Zhengtian Lv, Zhijun Wang, Wei Mao

Abstract readNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Global Research Progress on Radiofrequency Ablation in Cardiology.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025
    Review
  4. Pulmonary vein isolation by visually guided laser balloon ablation: single-center 5-year follow-up results.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2023
    Observational
  5. Review
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

8 authors.

Xinbin Zhou *Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Jin Dai *Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Xiaoming Xu *Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Miaojun LianDepartment of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Yang LouThe First College of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Zhengtian LvThe First College of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Zhijun WangDepartment of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Wei MaoDepartment of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310006, China. maoweilw@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1994-2770

Funding

Zhejiang Provincial Research Project of Public Welfare Technology LGF19H020003
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePoint-by-point radiofrequency (RF) ablation has been the cornerstone of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF); however, it remains a complex and time-consuming procedure. Many novel AF catheter ablation (CA) techniques have been introduced, but whether they represent valuable alternatives remains controversial. Thus, we conducted a network meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of different CA interventions.

methodsWe systematically searched several databases (Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov ) from inception to March, 2020. The primary outcomes of interest were freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) and procedure-related complications; secondary outcomes included procedure time and fluoroscopy time.

resultsFinally, 33 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 4801 patients were enrolled. No significant differences were found among the different interventions in terms of primary efficacy or safety outcomes. PVAC was most likely to have the shortest procedure time (Prbest = 61.5%) and nMARQ the shortest fluoroscopy time (Prbest = 60.6%); compared with conventional irrigated RF (IRF) ablation, cryoballoon ablation (CBA) showed comparable clinical efficacy and safety; CBA with second-generation CB (CB2) had a significantly shorter procedure time than IRF with contact force technology (CF-IRF) (WMD = - 20.75; p = 0.00).

conclusionThere is insufficient evidence to suggest that one CA technique is superior to another. However, PVAC may be associated with a shorter procedural duration, and the CB2 catheters also seemed to reduce the procedure time compared with that of CF-IRF. Further large-scale studies are warranted to compare the available CA techniques and provide an up-to-date optimum recommendation.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationCryosurgeryPulmonary VeinsHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAtrial fibrillationCatheter ablationNetwork meta-analysisRandomized controlled trials

Identifiers

PMID33011920

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.