Key result
AF ablation rates double but still reach only 0.65% of diagnosed patients.
Why the study?
Temporal trends and patient characteristics in catheter ablation procedures for AF, AFL, and AVN in Finland were investigated.
Cohort (n=243,802)
Yes
The use of catheter ablation for AF, AFL, and AVN more than doubled in Finland between 2012 and 2018, particularly among elderly patients, though it remains utilized in less than 1% of the total AF/AFL population.
Background: Catheter ablation is a well-established treatment to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL) recurrences and to relieve symptoms, whereas pacemaker implantation and atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation is used for rate control when medical therapy fails. Aims: We investigated temporal trends and patient characteristics in catheter ablation procedures for AF, AFL and AVN in Finland between 2012-2018. Methods: Finnish AntiCoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation (FinACAF) is a registry-based study including all patients with AF or AFL in Finland between 2012-2018. Results: The number of patients with AF or AFL diagnosis in Finland increased from 185 057 to 243 802 between 2012-2018 and a total of 8954 first-time catheter ablation procedures were performed. Of them, 4909 (54.8 %) were AF ablations, 2731 (30.5 %) AFL ablations and 1314 (14.7 %) AVN ablations. The procedural numbers increased from 457/year to 934/year for AF, from 223/year to 553/year for AFL and from 114/year to 238/year for AVN. Altogether, 0.65% of all patients with diagnosed AF or AFL underwent AF, AFL or AVN ablation in 2018. The mean age of the patients increased in all ablation groups. Patients undergoing AF and AFL ablations were predominantly men (69.7 % and 74.6 % respectively) whereas patients undergoing AVN ablation were more often women (56.9%). Conclusions: The use of catheter ablation more than doubled during 2012-2018 and the increase was particularly seen in the elderly patients. Nevertheless, only a minority of AF and AFL patients were treated with catheter ablations.
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Lappalainen et al. (2024) conducted a cohort in Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter (n=243,802). Catheter ablation was evaluated on Temporal trends in catheter ablation procedures. Catheter ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation and flutter more than doubled between 2012 and 2018, yet only 0.65% of diagnosed patients underwent ablation in 2018.
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