
Combining RF and CryoBalloon Ablation Techniques
Research Findings
By Combining RF and CryoBalloon Ablation Techniques, Do Success Rates Increase?
RF point-by-point ablation for Pulmonary Vein (PV) isolation is technically challenging, time consuming, and the first-time success rate is variable. CryoBalloon ablation is easier and faster.
Question: What happens when you combine the two techniques? Do success rates increase?
To find out, UK researcher, Dr. Ross J. Hunter devised a single-center study to compare three different ablation strategies. He divided 237 Paroxysmal A-Fib patients undergoing their first ablation into three treatment groups.
Group 1 Strategy: standard RF point-by-point wide of the Pulmonary Vein openings (PVs) using an irrigated tip catheter guided by a 3D mapping system.
Group 2 Strategy: CryoBalloon ablation using the Arctic Front CryoBalloon catheter, and if PV isolation wasn’t achieved using the CryoBalloon alone, RF focal lesions were added.
Group 3 Strategy: RF point-by-point ablation followed by two applications of the CryoBalloon.
Success Rates After One Year
Group 1: At one year 47% were A-Fib free and off of all antiarrhythmic drugs; (This is a relatively low success rate compared to some centers using RF ablation.) Average procedure time was 211 minutes;
Group 2: The one year success rate was 67% (significantly better than the RF group); Important Note: In addition to the CryoBalloon, 31% needed RF focal lesions to achieve PV isolation; Average procedure time was 167 minutes;
Group 3: After one year the success rate was 76% which was better than the CryoBalloon alone, but the difference wasn’t ‘statistically significant’ (meaning it could have occurred by chance); Average procedure time was 278 minutes.
How the Strategies Compare
In this single center study, the CryoBalloon plus RF lesions as needed strategy (Group 2) was faster, easier to use and was more effective after one year than RF point-by-point ablation approach (Group 1). Using the novel strategy of combining RF followed by CryoBalloon ablation (Group 3) did not significantly improve results and took longer to do.