The 'cut-and-sew' technique significantly reduced atrial fibrillation recurrence compared to bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency ablation (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.030-0.60; P=0.0084).
Cohort (n=66)
Effect estimate: OR 0.13 (95% CI 0.030-0.60)
p-value: p=0.0084
Different lesion sets and ablation techniques have been performed. We compared these outcomes in search of the best method. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who have undergone AF surgery different from the maze III. The surgical lesion sets were pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone, left atrial maze (LAM) and bi-atrial maze (BAM) and were made with different ablation techniques. During surgery one patient died due to bleeding of a pulmonary vein. The number of patients in the PVI-, LAM-, BAM-groups was 12, 28 and 26, respectively, with freedom from AF at latest follow-up 22.0+/-15.6 (3.1-81.2) months of 33%, 59% and 60%, respectively. Atrial flutter occurred less in the BAM-group (4%) than in the left-sided procedures (15.4%) (P=0.231). Multivariate analysis demonstrated a higher recurrence of AF for PVI alone (OR 4.42, CL 0.95-20.6, P=0.0583) and a lower recurrence for the 'cut-and-sew' technique (OR 0.13, CL 0.030-0.60, P=0.0084). Left- and bi-atrial maze procedures are equally effective in the suppression of AF, whereas omission of right-sided lesions results in a higher prevalence of atrial flutter. The 'cut-and-sew' technique is superior in terms of freedom from AF compared to bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency.
Geuzebroek et al. (Thu,) conducted a cohort in Atrial fibrillation (n=66). 'Cut-and-sew' technique vs. Bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency was evaluated on Recurrence of atrial fibrillation (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.030-0.60, p=0.0084). The 'cut-and-sew' technique significantly reduced atrial fibrillation recurrence compared to bipolar and unipolar radiofrequency ablation (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.030-0.60; P=0.0084).