Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40971527›Full record

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 Cardiology2025

Epicardial and hybrid surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation: 1-year follow-up outcomes of the EORP EHAFA registry.

Mindy Vroomen, Mark La Meir, Ales Mokracek, Kai N Doll, Thierry A Folliguet, Carina Blomstrom Lundqvist, Lluís Mont, Nicholas S Peters, Laurent Pison, EHAFAR Investigators

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

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, 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. 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

10 authors.

Mindy VroomenDepartment of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery, Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Auerbachstraße 110, Stuttgart 70376, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3473-9076
Mark La MeirCardiac Surgery Department, CHVZ, UZ Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-6261-5110
Ales MokracekCardiac Surgery Department, Ceske Budejovice Hospital, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Kai N DollCardiac Surgery Department, Heart Center, Schuechtermann-Klinik, Bad Rothenfelde, Germany.ORCID 0009-0004-9621-7622
Thierry A FolliguetCardiac Surgery Department, Henri Mondor Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris Université Paris 12, Paris, France.
Carina Blomstrom LundqvistDepartment of Cardiology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
Lluís MontDepartment of Cardiology, Arrhythmia Section, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-8115-5906
Nicholas S PetersNational Heart and Lung Institute, Cardiac Function, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3581-8078
Laurent PisonDepartment of Cardiology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-8518-3330
EHAFAR Investigators

Funding

Abbott Vascular Int.Alliance Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH and Eli Lilly and CompanyAmgen CardiovascularAstraZenecaAtriCure Europe BV 260, 1101 EEBayer AGBoehringer IngelheimBoston ScientificBristol Myers SquibbDaiichi Sankyo Europe GmbHEdwardsEuropean Heart Rhythm AssociationGedeon Richter Plc.Menarini Int. Op.MSD-Merck & Co.Novartis Pharma AGPfizer AllianceResMedSanofiServierVifor
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsStand-alone minimal invasive epicardial and hybrid atrial fibrillation ablation (EHAFA) has evolved to a recognized treatment option in challenging patients. The EHAFA registry was initiated to describe the applied diagnostic and therapeutic approaches used in routine practice for these procedures, as well as the outcomes in terms of rhythm, symptoms, and complications. METHODS AND

resultsBetween January 2016 and March 2018, patients who underwent an EHAFA procedure for all types of atrial fibrillation (AF) were consecutively enrolled in the international, prospective, observational EHAFA registry. Follow-up occurred after 1 year. A total of 468 patients were enrolled from 17 centres in 10 countries. Stand-alone ablation (n = 464) was performed epicardially in 47% (n = 220) or as epi-/endocardial hybrid in 53% (n = 244). The predominate type of AF was non-paroxysmal in 74% (n = 342), and 36% (n = 166) of patients had failed previous catheter ablation. The main lesion sets applied consisted of pulmonary vein isolation (99%, n = 460) and isolation of the left atrial (LA) posterior wall (82%, n = 383). In 82% (n = 382), the LA appendage was managed. The overall in-hospital major complication rate was 8.2% (n = 38/464). Freedom from atrial arrhythmias > 30 s with and without antiarrhythmic drug usage was 79% and 64% (n = 279/353, n = 223/351, respectively). The EHRA score at follow-up was clearly reduced compared to preoperatively (EHRA I: 72%, n = 233/325, vs. 3%, n = 14/464).

conclusionThis international registry revealed good rhythm control efficacy for epicardial and hybrid AF ablation in patients with advanced AF, leading to improvement in AF-related symptoms. However, a certain associated complication rate needs to be considered.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationPericardiumPulmonary VeinsAgedEuropeFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRecurrenceRegistriesTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeAtrial fibrillationEpicardial ablationHybrid ablationRegistrySurgical ablation

Identifiers

PMID40971527
PMCPMC12449207

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.