SynthesisJournal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing2023
Comparison of cryoballoon and radiofrequency ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis 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 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cryoballoon versus radiofrequency ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: an updated systematic review and meta‑analysis.European journal of medical research · 2025Pooled it
- Brazilian Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines - 2025.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2025Article
- Echocardiographic assessment of left atrial structural and functional changes after catheter ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with preserved ejection fraction.Scientific reports · 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
- Efficacy and safety of different forms of ablation therapies and antiarrhythmic drugs in atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Journal of thoracic disease · 2025Article
- Contemporary Trends in Pulsed Field Ablation for Cardiac Arrhythmias.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2024Review
- Catheter Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation: Recent Advances.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Ablation Strategies for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Beyond the Pulmonary Veins.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation versus cryoballoon ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.The Egyptian heart journal : (EHJ) : official bulletin of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology · 2024Article
- Improving outcomes of AF ablation by integrated personalized lifestyle interventions: rationale and design of the prevention to improve outcomes of PVI (POP) trial.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere is limited data comparing radiofrequency (RF) and cryoballoon (CB) ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), which tends to have higher recurrence rates following ablation compared to paroxysmal AF.
methodsA systematic search of the Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane database was performed for studies comparing RF vs CB ablation for persistent AF. An inverse-variance random-effects model was used to calculate the composite effects.
resultsOne randomized and 9 observational studies were identified, with 1650 patients receiving CB and 1706 patients receiving RF ablation. Mean follow-up time ranged from 12 to 48 months. Freedom from recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmia was similar with the two modalities (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.08, I
conclusionsIn persistent AF patients, CB ablation has similar efficacy and overall safety as compared to RF ablation. While CB is associated with significantly shorter procedure times, the improved procedural efficiency with CB is offset by increased rates of PNP and the potential need for touch-up RF ablation.
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Registered trials
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.