FIRE AND ICE: The quest for the perfect modality in atrial fibrillation ablation

Figures

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  Figure 1.. Histology of radiofrequency lesions (a), and cryo-energy (b), stained with Masson’s trichome. Source: Khairy et al., Lower Incidence of Thrombus Formation With Cryoenergy Versus Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation. Circulation, April 2003.

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  Figure 2.. Panel A - Atrial fibrillation recurrence–free survival probabilities and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after the initial catheter ablation (CA); AF recurrence–free survival probabilities 5 years after the initial CA were 59.4%. There is no blanking period. Source: Takigawa et al., Long-Term Effect of CA on PAF. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2014;7:267-273. Panel B - The 90-day landmark analysis of the primary efficacy end point. The trial confirmed the noninferiority of cryoballoon ablation to radiofrequency (RFC) catheter ablation. The first 90 days after the index ablation was the so-called “blanking period”; events during this period were not counted in the determination of clinical failure for the primary end point.