Key result
Cryoballoon ablation is the most widely performed single-shot technique for atrial fibrillation, driven by increasing disease prevalence and improved screening methods.
There is increasing interest in single-shot techniques for the electrical isolation of the pulmonary veins in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).Ablation using the cryoballoon is the most widely performed single-shot technique for AF ablation, although other techniques and equipment are also available.To date, equipment for cryoballoon ablation has been provided by one manufacturer only, but in the near future cryoablation with new balloon-type catheters or using alternative sources of energy (radiofrequency or lasers, for example) will be made available by other manufacturers.Several factors have contributed to the increasing interest in single-shot techniques.Firstly, it is known that the incidence and prevalence of AF are significantly higher than initially thought, particularly in its paroxysmal form. 1 This is the likely result of the aging of the population and increasing prevalence of age-related conditions associated with AF, such as hypertension, diabetes and sleep apnea.Secondly, common sense dictates that the longer the monitoring period the higher the likelihood of finding AF, 2 and therefore with better and more prolonged screening methods, more patients can be expected to be diagnosed with the condition.
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Primo et al. (2019) conducted an editorial in Atrial fibrillation. Cryoballoon ablation was evaluated. Cryoballoon ablation is the most widely performed single-shot technique for atrial fibrillation, driven by increasing disease prevalence and improved screening methods.
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