Purpose: Cryoballoon ablation of the pulmonary veins (CAPV) is a new technique that could have similar results to radiofrequency procedures, but with fewer complications. We analyzed the outcomes and safety of this technique in a consecutive cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
Methods: A total of 63 patients with paroxysmal (n = 40) or persistent (n = 23) AF were studied. Patient follow-up was performed at 3 months and then every 6 months with 72-h continuous electrocardiographic recordings.
Results: A total of 262 pulmonary veins were treated; 60.3 % of the cases presented normal pulmonary vein drainage with 4 pulmonary veins, and 23.8 % of the cases presented a common left-sided antrum. Complete isolation of all veins was achieved in 95.2 % of cases with 10.3 ± 2.8 (mean ± standard deviation) applications per patient. Transient right phrenic nerve injury was the most common complication (4.7 %). Median follow-up was 5.5 months. The probability of being free of recurrence at 1 and 2 years was, respectively, 86.2 and 72.2 % for paroxysmal AF and 49 and 36.4 % for persistent AF (P = 0.012). Patients with structural heart disease experienced recurrence more often than patients with a normal heart (62.5 versus 24.5 %; P = 0.03).
Conclusions: CAPV appears to be a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of patients with AF, particularly those with paroxysmal AF and no structural heart disease.