Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42041074›Full record

ArticleClinical cardiology2026

Trend Analyses on Interventional Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation From 2016 to 2022: Insights From a Multicenter Hospital Database of Left Atrial Catheter Ablation Cases.

Sebastian König, Sven Hohenstein, Johannes Leiner, Anne Nitsche, Henning T Baberg, Michael Wiedemann, Melchior Seyfarth, Armin Sause, Alexander Staudt, Christopher Reithmann and 7 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical cardiology, 2026. 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

17 authors.

Sebastian KönigDepartment of Electrophysiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3759-3052
Sven HohensteinHelios Health Institute, Real World Evidence & Health Technology Assessment, Berlin, Germany.
Johannes LeinerDepartment of Electrophysiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Anne NitscheHelios Health Institute, Real World Evidence & Health Technology Assessment, Berlin, Germany.
Henning T BabergDepartment of Cardiology and Nephrology, Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany.
Michael WiedemannDepartment of Cardiology and Nephrology, Helios Hospital Berlin-Buch, Berlin, Germany.
Melchior SeyfarthDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospital Helios Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.
Armin SauseDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospital Helios Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.
Alexander StaudtDepartment of Cardiology and Angiology, Helios Hospital Schwerin, Schwerin, Germany.
Christopher ReithmannDepartment of Internal Medicine I, Helios Hospital München West, Munich, Germany.
Carsten WunderlichDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Helios Hospital Pirna, Pirna, Germany.
Jürgen TebbenjohannsDepartment of Cardiology, Helios Hospital Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany.
Dong-In ShinDepartment of Cardiology and Angiology, Helios Hospital Krefeld, Krefeld, Germany.
Frank SteinbornDepartment of Cardiology/Interventional Electrophysiology, Helios Hospital Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
Michael NiehausDepartment of Internal Medicine I, Helios Hospital Gifhorn, Gifhorn, Germany.
Kerstin BodeDepartment of Electrophysiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Andreas BollmannDepartment of Electrophysiology, Heart Center Leipzig at University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.

Funding

Biosense Webster IIS-587
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent real-world data on the utilization of atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation (CA) are scarce, as is information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends in interventional AF treatment. Aims of this study were to describe case characteristics and trends of CA management using a contemporary multicenter database.

methodsIn this retrospective, cross-sectional analysis, we investigated administrative data provided by 87 German hospitals from 01/01/2016 to 12/15/2022. Based on ICD-10 and OPS codes, inpatient cases with a main or secondary discharge diagnosis of AF who underwent CA were extracted. Incidence-rate ratios (IRR) for case numbers with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using negative binomial models. Trends based on regression analysis were adjusted for baseline variables.

resultsAnalyzing 29 144 CA cases (89.4% from high-volume centers), a significant increase in case numbers was observed throughout the study period (IRR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07, p < 0.001). There was no sustained impact on the overall trend from the COVID-19 pandemic, but a temporary drop in case numbers in 2020. Utilization of transesophageal echocardiography (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.81-0.83, p < 0.001) and intensive care treatment declined (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.94, p < 0.001) and there was a trend toward a reduced incidence of pericardial tamponade. The ratio of cryoablations to radiofrequency CA case numbers increased from 0.29 ± 0.06 in 2016 to 0.50 ± 0.07 in 2022.

conclusionWe observed an increase in AF CA case numbers over the study period without a sustained influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on this long-term trend. Reported adaptations in CA management deserve further attention.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationCOVID-19AgedCross-Sectional StudiesDatabases, FactualFemaleGermanyHospitals, High-VolumeHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTime FactorsTreatment Outcomeadministrative dataatrial fibrillationCOVID‐19left atrial catheter ablationtrend analyses

Identifiers

PMID42041074
PMCPMC13112413

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Registered trials

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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.