ArticleJournal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing2023
Role of empirical isolation of the superior vena cava in patients with recurrence of atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation-a multi-center analysis.
Article in Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Empirical Superior Vena Cava Isolation Added to Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Usefulness of empiric superior vena cava isolation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2025Pooled it
- Atrial fibrillation catheter ablation in endurance athletes: systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2024Pooled it
- Repeat in situ ablation vs. extensive ablation for recurrent persistent atrial fibrillation.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 · 2025Trial
- Targeted Superior Vena Cava Isolation Combined With Pulmonary Vein Isolation Versus Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone Using Cryoballoon Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.Clinical cardiology · 2026Article
- Adjunctive empirical superior vena cava isolation with fourth-generation cryoballoon in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation does not improve outcomes and increases complications: the randomized CISPAF trial.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Article
- Outcomes after redo ablation for the recurrence of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2025Article
- The impact of empirical superior vena cava isolation in addition to pulmonary vein isolation on outcomes in atrial fibrillation - Systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.International journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature · 2025Article
- Translational Anatomy of the Sinoatrial Node: Myoarchitecture and its Relevance for Catheter Ablation: Part II: Clinical Applications.JACC. Case reports · 2025Article
- Repeat ablation of atrial fibrillation using electrogram dispersion to identify additional areas of mechanistic significance.Heart rhythm O2 · 2024Article
- Long-term Outcomes of Cryoballoon-based Empirical Superior Vena Cava Isolation in Addition to Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.Anatolian journal of cardiology · 2024Article
- Atrial Fibrillation and Chronic Coronary Ischemia: A Challenging Vicious Circle.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Efficacy, Safety and Feasibility of Superior Vena Cava Isolation in Patients Undergoing Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation: An Up-to-Date Review.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Ganglionic Plexus Ablation: A Step-by-step Guide for Electrophysiologists and Review of Modalities for Neuromodulation for the Management of Atrial Fibrillation.Arrhythmia & electrophysiology review · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNon-pulmonary vein (PV) triggers play a role in the initiation of atrial fibrillation (AF), with the superior vena cava (SVC) being a common location. The aim of the current study was to investigate a strategy of empirical SVC isolation (SVCI) in addition to re-isolation of PV in patients with recurrence of AF after index PV isolation (PVI).
methodsWe retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients from two centers with recurrence of AF after index PVI, undergoing a repeat ablation. Whereas only a re-isolation of the PV was intended in patients with reconnections of equal or more than two PV (PVI group), an additional SVCI was aimed for in patients with < 2 isolated PV in addition to the re-isolation of the PV (PVI + group). Analysis was performed as-treated and per-protocol.
resultsOf the 344 patients included in the study (age 60 ± 10 years, 73% male, 66% paroxysmal AF), PVI only was performed in 269 patients (77%) and PVI plus SVCI (PVI +) in 75 patients (23%). Overall, freedom from AF/AT after repeat PVI was 80% (196 patients) in the PVI group and 73% in the PVI + group (p = 0.151). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, presence of persistent AF (HR 2.067 (95% CI 1.389-3.078), p < 0.001) and hypertension (HR 1.905 (95% CI 1.218-2.980), p = 0.005) were identified as only significant predictors of AF/AT recurrence. The per-protocol results did not differ from this observation.
conclusionsA strategy of an empirical additional SVCI at repeat PVI ablation for recurrence of AF/AT does not improve outcome compared to a PVI only approach.
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