Observational studyEuropace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology2023
Variation and clinical consequences of wait-times for atrial fibrillation ablation: population level study in Ontario, Canada.
Observational study in 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. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Inequitable Access to Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation and Adverse Outcomes in a Publicly Funded Healthcare System.CJC open · 2026Article
- Impact of Operator-Patient Sex Concordance on Patient Outcomes in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures for Atrial Fibrillation.CJC open · 2026Article
- Waiting Time for Pulmonary Vein Isolation: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study of Atrial Fibrillation Progression and Complications.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Observational
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Approval of Cardiac Ablations in Ambulatory Surgery Centers: Challenges and Emerging Models Shaping the Future of Cardiac Electrophysiology.The Journal of innovations in cardiac rhythm management · 2026Article
- Article
- Atrial fibrillation and tachy-brady syndrome in a 68-year-old woman.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025Article
- Article
- A Mobile Setup for Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation.CJC open · 2025Article
- Impact of atrial fibrillation diagnosis-to-ablation time on 24-month efficacy and safety outcomes in the Cryo Global Registry.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 · 2025Observational
- Freeze the clock: earlier catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation delivers better outcomes.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 · 2025Article
- Evolution in electrophysiology 100 years after Einthoven: translational and computational innovations in rhythm control of 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 · 2024Review
- Centre-Specific Variation in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation-Treatment Rates in a Universal Single-Payer Healthcare System.CJC open · 2024Article
- Electrophysiology lab efficiency using cryoballoon for pulmonary vein isolation in central and eastern Europe: A sub-analysis of the cryo global registry study.Cardiology journal · 2024Article
- EUropean real-world outcomes with Pulsed field ablatiOn in patients with symptomatic atRIAl fibrillation: lessons from the multi-centre EU-PORIA registry.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 · 2023Article
- Very-high-power Short-duration Ablation versus Conventional Ablation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Atrial Fibrillation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Arrhythmia & electrophysiology review · 2023Article
- Managing arrhythmia in cardiac resynchronisation therapy.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
aimsAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac rhythm disorder. Emerging evidence supporting the efficacy of catheter ablation in managing AF has led to increased demand for this therapy, potentially outpacing the capacity to perform this procedure. Mismatch between demand and capacity for AF ablation results in wait-times which have not been comprehensively evaluated at a population level. Additionally, the consequences of such delays in AF ablation, namely the risk of hospitalization or adverse events, have not been studied. METHODS AND
resultsThis observational cohort study included adults referred for catheter ablation to treat AF in Ontario, Canada, between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2020. Wait-time was defined from referral to the earliest of ablation, death, off-list, or the study endpoint of 31 March 2022. The outcomes of interest included a composite of death, hospitalization for AF/heart failure, and emergency department visit for AF/heart failure. Our study cohort included 6253 patients referred for de novo AF ablation. The median wait-time for patients who received and who did not receive ablation was 218 days (IQR: 112-363) and 520 days (IQR: 270-763), respectively. Wait-time increased consistently for patients referred between October 2017 and March 2020. Mortality was rare, but significant morbidity was observed, affecting 19.2% of patients on the waitlist for AF ablation. Paroxysmal AF was associated with a statistically significant greater risk for adverse outcomes on the waitlist (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.18-1.93).
conclusionWait-times for AF ablation are increasing and are associated with significant morbidity.
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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.