Cryoballoon ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation in Kazakhstan: One year outcome from the Cryo Global Registry

INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent and potentially serious cardiac rhythm disorder. Cryoballoon ablation using the Arctic Front catheter offers a modern treatment approach. This subanalysis evaluates the safety, efficacy, and impact on quality of life for patients undergoing t this procedure in Kazakhstan. The Cryo AF Global Registry (NCT02752737) is an ongoing prospective, multi-center observational post-market registry collecting global data on CBA procedures conducted with the Arctic Front™ Family of Cardiac Cryoablation Catheters. METHODS: The study included patients aged 18 and older with paroxysmal, persistent, and long-standing persistent AF. Key safety endpoints included serious adverse events related to the device or procedure. Efficacy was measured by the absence of AF, atrial flutter (AFL), and/or atrial tachycardia (AT) after a 90-day period of discontinuing antiarrhythmic medications. RESULTS: No injuries to the phrenic nerve or serious complications were reported. Three serious adverse events occurred, but these were not related to the procedure. At 12 months, the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a 92.9 % rate of freedom from AF or other atrial arrhythmias after the 90-day blanking period. Two repeat ablations (2.9 %) were needed for AF. CONCLUSION: This analysis supports the conclusion that cryoballoon ablation is both safe and effective for treating AF in Kazakhstan, resulting in significant improvements in patients' quality of life. REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02752737.