SynthesisJournal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing2025
Usefulness of empiric superior vena cava isolation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ablation: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
Synthesis in Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 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
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Empirical Superior Vena Cava Isolation Added to Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Pulmonary vein isolation with or without empiric superior vena cava isolation in patients undergoing ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: the randomized ESVCI-AF trial.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 · 2025Trial
- Targeted Superior Vena Cava Isolation Combined With Pulmonary Vein Isolation Versus Pulmonary Vein Isolation Alone Using Cryoballoon Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.Clinical cardiology · 2026Article
- Standardised superior vena cava isolation with a balloon-in-basket pulsed-field ablation catheter: feasibility and acute safety of two procedural workflows in 53 consecutive patients.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026Article
- Feasibility and Safety of High-Power Settings for Electrical Isolation of the Superior Vena Cava Using a Catheter Capable of Local Impedance and Contact Force Monitoring.Journal of arrhythmia · 2026Article
- Empiric superior vena cava isolation during first-time catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing · 2026Review
- Adjunctive empirical superior vena cava isolation with fourth-generation cryoballoon in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation does not improve outcomes and increases complications: the randomized CISPAF trial.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Article
- Superior Vena Cava as an Arrhythmogenic Substrate in Atrial Fibrillation: Anatomical, Electrophysiological and Clinical Perspectives.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Superior vena cava and atrial cardiomyopathy: role of adjunctive superior vena cava isolation ablation in 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 · 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
- The Role of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Characterizing Atrial Cardiomyopathy and Guiding Substrate Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation: A Narrative Review.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe long-term success rate of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is suboptimal due to the presence of non-pulmonary vein (PV) foci that can trigger atrial fibrillation (AF) in up to 11%. Among non-PV triggers, the superior vena cava (SVC) is a major site of origin of ectopic beats initiating AF.
objectiveTo compare data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing PVI + empiric SVC isolation (SVCI) versus PVI alone in terms of AF recurrence, procedure-related complications, and fluoroscopic and procedural times.
methodsA search of online scientific libraries (from inception to April 1, 2024) was performed. Four RCTs were considered eligible for the meta-analysis totaling 600 patients of whom 287 receiving PVI + SVCI and 313 receiving PVI alone.
resultsIn the overall population, SVCI + PVI was associated with a non-significant reduction of AF recurrence at follow-up (0.66 [0.43;1.00], p = 0.05, I
conclusionThe addition of SVCI to PVI in patients in PAF is associated with a significant lower rate of AF recurrence at follow-up, without increasing complication rates and procedural and fluoroscopy times.
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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.