Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37834948›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical medicine2023

Left Atrial Posterior Wall Isolation with Pulsed Field Ablation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Melanie A Gunawardene, Gerrit Frommeyer, Christian Ellermann, Mario Jularic, Patrick Leitz, Jens Hartmann, Philipp Sebastian Lange, Omar Anwar, Benjamin Rath, Rahin Wahedi and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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

30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Indirect treatment comparison of two pulsed field ablation systems for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026
    Trial
  4. Pulsed field ablation for pulmonary vein isolation with or without posterior wall ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: a multicenter study.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Adjunctive posterior wall ablation with a balloon-in-basket pulsed-field ablation catheter in atrial fibrillation: feasibility, safety, and insights into targeted lesion delivery from the VOLT CE Mark study.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 · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Esophageal endoscopic findings after pulmonary vein and posterior wall isolation using pulsed field ablation: results from the Eso-PFA study.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 · 2025
    Observational
  12. Observational
  13. Article
  14. An approach to electroanatomical mapping with a pentaspline pulsed field catheter to guide atrial fibrillation ablation.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2025
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. 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

12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Melanie A GunawardeneDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Asklepios Hospital St. Georg, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
Gerrit FrommeyerDivision of Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-1431-9886
Christian EllermannDivision of Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Mario JularicDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Asklepios Hospital St. Georg, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
Patrick LeitzDivision of Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Jens HartmannDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Asklepios Hospital St. Georg, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
Philipp Sebastian LangeDivision of Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Omar AnwarDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Asklepios Hospital St. Georg, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9738-4685
Benjamin RathDivision of Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Rahin WahediDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Asklepios Hospital St. Georg, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
Lars EckardtDivision of Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3735-8503
Stephan WillemsDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Asklepios Hospital St. Georg, 20099 Hamburg, Germany.
Semmelweis University · HUUniversity of Münster · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLeft atrial posterior wall isolation (LAPWI) may improve rhythm control in addition to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in persistent atrial fibrillation (persAF) patients undergoing catheter ablation (CA). However, LAPWI may be challenging when using thermal energy sources.

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of LAPWI performed by non-thermal pulsed field ablation (PFA) in CA for persAF.

methodsConsecutive persAF patients from two German centers were prospectively enrolled. There were two study cohorts: (1) the LAPWI cohort, which included PFA-guided (re-)PVI with LAPWI for first-time and/or repeat ablation procedures; and (2) a comparative persAF cohort with a PFA PVI-only approach without LAPWI for first-time ablation within the same timeframe. Patients were followed up by routine Holter ECGs.

resultsIn total, 79 persistent AF patients were included in the study: 59/79 patients were enrolled in the LAPWI cohort, including 16/59 index (27%) and 43/59 repeat ablation procedures (73%). Sixteen patients (16/79; 21%) were in the PVI-only cohort without LAPWI. Of the patients treated with LAPWI, procedure time and fluoroscopy time was 91 ± 30 min and 15 ± 7 min, respectively. The acute PVI rate was 100% in all first-time ablation patients (32 patients (16 PVI only, 16 PVI plus LAPWI), 196/196 PVs). Of the 43 re-do patients in the LAPWI cohort, re-PVI was necessary in 33% (14/43) of patients (27 PVs; 1.9 PV per-patient); in 67% (29/43), all PVs were isolated, and antral ablation of the PV ostia was performed in 48% (14/29). LAPWI was performed successfully in all 59 (100%) patients of the LAPWI cohort. Two minor complications occurred. No esophageal lesion was detected in the LAPWI cohort (n = 33/59 (56%) patients underwent endoscopy). After 354 ± 197 days of follow-up, freedom from atrial arrhythmias was 79.3% (95-CI: 62-95%) in the complete LAPWI cohort (n = 14/59 (24%) on AAD: class Ic n = 9, class III n = 5). There was no difference regarding acute procedural and clinical outcome compared to the PVI-only cohort.

conclusionLAPWI guided by PFA is feasible and safe in patients undergoing CA for persAF and shows favorable outcomes. In the context of durable PVI, PFA-guided LAPWI may be an effective adjunctive treatment option.

Indexed as

left atrial posterior wall isolationpersistent atrial fibrillationpulmonary vein isolationpulsed field ablation

Identifiers

PMID37834948
PMCPMC10573684
OpenAlexW4387265094

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.