Evaluation of an Optimized Workflow for the Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

BACKGROUND A significant number of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences occur after initial ablation, often due to pulmonary vein reconnections or triggers from non-pulmonary veins. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients with paroxysmal AF who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation for the first time were enrolled. Base on propensity score matching (1: 1 matching), 118 patients were selected for an optimized workflow for the radiofrequency catheter ablation of paroxysmal AF (OWCA) group and a conventional group. Comparative analysis of the acute and 12-month clinical outcomes was conducted. Moreover, an artificial intelligence analytics platform was used to evaluate the quality of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) circles. RESULTS PVI was successfully achieved in all patients. Incidence of first-pass isolation of bilateral PVI circles was higher (P=0.009) and acute pulmonary vein reconnections was lower (P=0.027) in the OWCA group than conventional group. The OWCA group displayed a significant reduction in the number of fractured points (P<0.001), stacked points (P=0.003), and a greater proportion of cases in which the radiofrequency index achieved the target value (P=0.003). Additionally, the contact force consistently met the force over time criteria (P<0.001) for bilateral PVI circles in the OWCA group, accompanied by a shorter operation time (P=0.017). During the 12-month follow-up period, the OWCA group exhibited a higher atrial arrhythmia-free survival rate following the initial ablation procedure than did the conventional group. CONCLUSIONS The optimized workflow for radiofrequency catheter ablation of paroxysmal AF could play a crucial role in creating higher quality PVI circles. This improvement is reflected in a significantly elevated 12-month atrial arrhythmia-free survival rate.