Key result
Bipolar RF ablation shows no sinus rhythm restoration benefit over monopolar but saves ~8 minutes.
Why the study?
Does bipolar RF ablation improve sinus rhythm restoration compared to monopolar RF ablation in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation undergoing open cardiac surgery?
Cohort (n=81)
Does bipolar RF ablation improve sinus rhythm restoration compared to monopolar RF ablation in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation undergoing open cardiac surgery?
p-value: p=0.199
Bipolar RF ablation offers similar efficacy and safety to monopolar ablation for chronic AF during cardiac surgery, but significantly reduces procedural time.
Bipolar ablation may shorten operative time in surgical AF; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation before practice change.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects and safety of monopolar and bipolar radiofrequency (RF) ablation used during cardiac surgery to treat atrial fibrillation. METHODS: We retrospectively studied a total of 81 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation who underwent open cardiac surgery with concomitant RF ablation between January 2007 and March 2011. Fifty-eight patients received bipolar RF ablation and 23 received monopolar RF ablation, respectively. The sinus rhythm restoration rate, the procedural duration, the frequency of severe perioperative complications, and mortality were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The sinus rhythm restoration rate did not differ significantly between the two groups after follow-up of 15.1 ± 12.6 months (P=0.199). The frequencies of severe perioperative complications and mortality were also similar in the two groups. The total procedural time using bipolar RF ablation was significantly shorter than that using monopolar ablation (19.7 ± 4.6 minutes vs. 28.1 ± 8.5 minutes, P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Both monopolar and bipolar RF ablation are safe and effective in treating chronic atrial fibrillation patients during open cardiac surgery, but bipolar RF ablation is more convenient in practice.
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Huang et al. (2014) conducted a cohort in chronic atrial fibrillation (n=81). Bipolar radiofrequency ablation vs. Monopolar radiofrequency ablation was evaluated on Sinus rhythm restoration rate (p=0.199). Bipolar radiofrequency ablation during cardiac surgery had similar sinus rhythm restoration to monopolar ablation (P=0.199) but significantly shorter procedural time (19.7 vs 28.1 minutes, P<0.001).
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