Adjunctive Right Atrial Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation With Right Atrial Enlargement: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND

Persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) is often associated with right atrial (RA) enlargement. We investigated the efficacy of RA intervention in patients with PerAF and RA enlargement.

METHODS

Patients with PerAF and RA enlargement were randomised (1:1) to receive adjunctive RA ablation (left atrial [LA] + RA group; n = 60) or to receive LA ablation alone (LA-only group; n = 60). In the LA + RA group, RA ablation was performed if LA ablation failed to terminate AF. The primary end point was freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence at 12 months after a single ablation procedure without antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

RESULTS

In the LA + RA group, 40 patients (67%) required RA ablation. The LA + RA group had a higher rate of acute AF termination than the LA-only group (63.3% vs 36.7%; P = 0.003). At the end of 12-month follow-up, 42 patients (70%) in the LA + RA group were free of AF/AT recurrence, compared with 31 (51.7%) in the LA-only group (log rank P = 0.034; hazard ratio 0.549, 95% confidence interval 0.310-0.974). The rate of freedom from AF recurrence was also higher in the LA + RA group than in the LA-only group (81.7% vs 63.3%; log rank P = 0.019). The 2 groups had similar rates of adverse events (5% vs 3.3%; P = 0.648).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjunctive RA ablation increased the success rate of a single ablation in patients with PerAF and RA enlargement.

CHINESE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR220056844.