Efficacy and feasibility of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure: A large‐scale multicenter study

Introduction Data are limited regarding outcomes of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure (HF). This large‐scale multicenter study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of patients with HF after cryoballoon ablation for AF. Methods Among 3655 patients undergoing cryoballoon ablation at 17 institutions, 549 patients (15%) (391 with paroxysmal AF and 158 with persistent AF) diagnosed with HF preoperatively were analyzed. Clinical endpoints were recurrence, mortality, and HF hospitalization after ablation. Results Most patients had a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%. During a mean follow‐up period of 25.7 months, recurrence, all‐cause death, and HF hospitalization occurred in 29%, 4.0%, and 4.8%, respectively. Cardiac function on echocardiography and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels significantly improved postoperatively, and the effect was more pronounced in the nonrecurrence group. Major complications occurred in 33 patients (6.0%), but most complications were phrenic nerve palsy (3.6%). Although death and HF hospitalization occurred more frequently in patients with LVEF ≤ 40% (n = 73) and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III–IV (n = 19) than other subgroups, the BNP levels, and LVEF significantly improved after ablation in all LVEF and NYHA class subgroups. High BNP levels, NHYA class, CHADS2 score, and structural heart disease, but not postablation recurrence, independently predicted death, and HF hospitalization on multivariate analysis. The patients with tachycardia‐induced cardiomyopathy had better recovery of BNP levels and LVEF after ablation than those with structural heart disease. Conclusions Cryoballoon ablation for AF in HF patients is feasible and leads to significantly improved cardiac function.