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 Cardiology2024
Incidence and predictors of thermal oesophageal and vagus nerve injuries in Ablation Index-guided high-power-short-duration ablation of atrial fibrillation: a prospective study.
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, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05709756 (Prevalence and Predictors of Esophageal Thermal Lesions in High-Power-Short-Duration Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.
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.
Prevalence and Predictors of Esophageal Thermal Lesions in High-Power-Short-Duration Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Head-to-head comparison of pulsed-field ablation, high-power short-duration ablation, cryoballoon and conventional radiofrequency ablation by MRI-based ablation lesion assessment.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026Article
- Rare complications in electrophysiological procedures.Herzschrittmachertherapie & Elektrophysiologie · 2026Review
- Oesophageal safety of high and very high power short duration pulmonary vein isolation: a randomized comparison of the 50 W and 90 W power settings-the HPSD oesophagus study.European heart journal open · 2026Article
- Minimizing Atrioesophageal Fistula Risk After AF Ablation: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Emerging Mini-Thermal Technology.Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE · 2025Review
- Minimizing Atrioesophageal Fistula Risk After AF Ablation: Risk Factors, Prevention, and Emerging Mini-Thermal Technology.Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE · 2025Review
- Severe Esophageal Complications Following Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Should We Still Be Concerned?Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
aimsHigh-power-short-duration (HPSD) ablation is an effective treatment for atrial fibrillation but poses risks of thermal injuries to the oesophagus and vagus nerve. This study aims to investigate incidence and predictors of thermal injuries, employing machine learning. METHODS AND
resultsA prospective observational study was conducted at Leipzig Heart Centre, Germany, excluding patients with multiple prior ablations. All patients received Ablation Index-guided HPSD ablation and subsequent oesophagogastroduodenoscopy. A machine learning algorithm categorized ablation points by atrial location and analysed ablation data, including Ablation Index, focusing on the posterior wall. The study is registered in clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05709756). Between February 2021 and August 2023, 238 patients were enrolled, of whom 18 (7.6%; nine oesophagus, eight vagus nerve, one both) developed thermal injuries, including eight oesophageal erythemata, two ulcers, and no fistula. Higher mean force (15.8 ± 3.9 g vs. 13.6 ± 3.9 g, P = 0.022), ablation point quantity (61.50 ± 20.45 vs. 48.16 ± 19.60, P = 0.007), and total and maximum Ablation Index (24 114 ± 8765 vs. 18 894 ± 7863, P = 0.008; 499 ± 95 vs. 473 ± 44, P = 0.04, respectively) at the posterior wall, but not oesophagus location, correlated significantly with thermal injury occurrence. Patients with thermal injuries had significantly lower distances between left atrium and oesophagus (3.0 ± 1.5 mm vs. 4.4 ± 2.1 mm, P = 0.012) and smaller atrial surface areas (24.9 ± 6.5 cm2 vs. 29.5 ± 7.5 cm2, P = 0.032).
conclusionThe low thermal lesion's rate (7.6%) during Ablation Index-guided HPSD ablation for atrial fibrillation is noteworthy. Machine learning based ablation data analysis identified several potential predictors of thermal injuries. The correlation between machine learning output and injury development suggests the potential for a clinical tool to enhance procedural safety.
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