ArticleBMC cardiovascular disorders2026
Effectiveness of stratified anatomical ablation ("BCXL") for persistent atrial fibrillation: a retrospective cohort study.
Article in BMC cardiovascular disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundRadiofrequency ablation is the cornerstone treatment for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF); however, outcomes of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone remain unsatisfactory.
objectivesWe aimed to assess a personalized stratified anatomical ablation strategy for persistent AF by comparing the effectiveness of BCXL (BC: extensive encircling PVI [EEPVI]; XL: stratified linear ablation based on left atrial substrate) with that of PVI.
methodsWe retrospectively analyzed data from patients with persistent AF undergoing radiofrequency ablation at Xinqiao Hospital between 2017 and 2021. Patients were stratified into BCXL and PVI groups. The follow-up period was 24 months. The primary endpoint was the documented recurrence of atrial arrhythmia lasting ≥ 30 s after a 3-month blanking period.
resultsThe study included 244 patients (BCXL group, n = 159; PVI group, n = 85). The ablation success rate at 24 months was significantly higher in the BCXL group than in the PVI group (80.4% vs. 63.8%, p = 0.006). Specifically, intermediate- to high-risk patients (CAAP-AF score > 5) in the BCXL group achieved a higher success rate than those in the PVI group (76.8% vs. 59.6%, p = 0.032). After adjusting for confounding factors (CAAP-AF score, left atrial low-voltage zone, age, sex, and body mass index), stratified anatomical ablation remained an independent predictor of ablation success (OR: 3.513; 95% CI: 1.725–7.154; p = 0.001).
conclusionA personalized stratified anatomical ablation strategy improves radiofrequency ablation outcomes, particularly in patients with intermediate- to high-risk AF.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.