Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40783545›Full record

Observational studyJournal of cardiothoracic surgery2025

Effect of recurrence in the blanking period after thoracoscopic atrial fibrillation ablation on long-term recurrence.

Haoyu Chen, Jimeng Yang, Yongfeng Shao, Weidong Gu, Buqing Ni, Jiaxi Gu, Minglong Chen, Mingfang Li

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of cardiothoracic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Haoyu Chen *Division of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Jimeng Yang *Division of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Yongfeng ShaoDivision of Cardiac Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Weidong GuDivision of Cardiac Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Buqing NiDivision of Cardiac Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Jiaxi GuDivision of Cardiac Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Minglong ChenDivision of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. chenminglong@njmu.edu.cn.
Mingfang LiDivision of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. mingfangli@njmu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82270329
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study evaluated the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence during the "blanking period" following thoracoscopic ablation on long-term AF recurrence.

methodsThis prospective observational study enrolled consecutive patients who underwent thoracoscopic AF ablation at our center between 2013 and 2020. Patients were grouped based on AF recurrence during the 3-month blanking period: no recurrence (Group A), early recurrence only (0-7 days, Group B), late recurrence only (8 days-3 months, Group C), or both early and late recurrence (Group D). The primary endpoint was long-term AF recurrence.

resultsWe finally analyzed 171 patients (mean age 62.5 ± 8.4 years, 34.5% female). During the blanking period, 118 patients (69.0%) experienced recurrent AF, distributed as follows: 57 in Group B, 35 in Group C, and 26 in Group D. During the median follow-up of 42.3 months (interquartile range: 25.0-60.4 months), post-blanking AF recurrence occurred in 85 patients (49.7%). Group A had the lowest post-blanking recurrence rate. Recurrence in any form (Groups B, C, or D) was associated with a significantly increased risk of long-term AF recurrence compared to Group A (adjusted HR 2.43, 95% CI 1.40-4.24, P = 0.002). Furthermore, Group B had a lower post-blanking recurrence rate (adjusted HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.97, P = 0.04) compared to Groups C and D.

conclusionsLate recurrence during the blanking period is a strong predictor of long-term AF recurrence, suggesting the need for closer monitoring and early intervention for patients with late recurrence during the blanking period after thoracoscopic AF ablation.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationThoracoscopyAgedFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRecurrenceTime FactorsAtrial fibrillationBlanking periodRecurrenceThoracoscopic ablation

Identifiers

PMID40783545
PMCPMC12335149

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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.