Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38976090›Full record

ArticleThe Egyptian heart journal : (EHJ) : official bulletin of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology2024

Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation versus cryoballoon ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Ahmed Mazen Amin, Ahmad Nawlo, Ahmed A Ibrahim, Ahmed Hassan, Alhassan Saber, Mohamed Abuelazm, Basel Abdelazeem

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Egyptian heart journal : (EHJ) : official bulletin of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
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

7 authors.

Ahmed Mazen AminFaculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Ahmad NawloDivision of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Ahmed A IbrahimFaculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Saad Zaghloul St., Shibin El-Kom, 32511, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. Ahmedabdalaziz33@med.menofia.edu.eg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3669-5724
Ahmed HassanFaculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt.
Alhassan SaberFaculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minya, Egypt.
Mohamed AbuelazmFaculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
Basel AbdelazeemDepartment of Cardiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPersistent Atrial Fibrillation (PeAF) is a challenging case for rhythm control modalities. Catheter ablation is the mainstay in PeAF management; however, data regarding the comparative safety and efficacy of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) versus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for PeAF is still limited. We aim to compare the safety and efficacy of CBA versus RFA for PeAF ablation.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which were retrieved by systematically searching PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Cochrane through October 2023. RevMan version 5.4 software was used to pool dichotomous data using risk ratio (RR) and continuous data using mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). PROSPERO ID: CRD42023480314.

resultsThree RCTs with 400 patients were included. There was no significant difference between RFA and CBA regarding AF recurrence (RR: 0.77, 95% CI [0.50, 1.20], P = 0.25), atrial tachycardia or atrial flutter recurrence (RR: 0.54, 95% CI [0.11, 2.76], P = 0.46), and any arrhythmia recurrence (RR: 0.96, 95% CI [0.70, 1.31], P = 0.80). CBA was significantly associated with decreased total procedure duration (MD: - 45.34, 95% CI [- 62.68, - 28.00], P < 0.00001), with no significant difference in fluoroscopy duration (MD: 3.59, 95% CI [- 5.13, 12.31], P = 0.42). Safety parameters were similar in both groups, including the incidence of any complications, phrenic nerve palsy (RR: 2.91 with 95% CI [0.31, 27.54], P = 0.35), access site complications (RR: 0.33 with 95% CI [0.05, 2.03], P = 0.23), and pericardial effusion.

conclusionsIn PeAF catheter ablation, CBA is comparable to RFA in terms of safety and efficacy. Also, CBA is associated with a shorter total procedure duration.

Indexed as

AblationArrhythmiaAtrial fibrillationPulmonary vein isolationReview

Identifiers

PMID38976090
PMCPMC11231113

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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.