Background: Long-term data showed that up to 27% of pulmonary veins are reconnected using cryoballoon ablation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the latest 4th-generation cryoballoon catheters using ultra high-resolution mapping.
Methods: In patients with atrial fibrillation, a standard pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with the latest 4th-generation cryoballoon catheter (Arctic Front Advance PRO, Medtronic Minneapolis, USA) and the spiral mapping catheter (Achieve Advance, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) was performed. Subsequently, high-resolution mapping was achieved using the novel multipolar grid mapping catheter (Advisor HD Grid SE, Abbott Laboratories, USA). Follow-up was obtained after 6 months by means of a 7-day Holter electrocardiogram.
Results: In our study, acute PVI was successfully achieved in all 31 patients. The latest 4th-generation cryoballoon catheter is safe in the acute phase of PVI. Additional high-resolution mapping (mean points per map 21,001 ± 4911) using the multipolar grid mapping catheter enabled us to identify residual gaps only in the carina pulmonary vein region; therefore, no additional ablation was performed. Three of 31 patients (10%) presented with atrial arrhythmia recurrence always related with pulmonary vein reconnection; using high-resolution mapping had no additional benefit in identifying pulmonary veins in which reconnection will occur.
Conclusion: The utility of additional high-density mapping, facilitated by the HD Grid catheter after PVI with the 4th-generation cryoballoon catheter do not substantiate a discernible advantage over conventional mapping methodologies, particularly, the spiral mapping catheter. Residual carinal conduction was observed in a substantial cohort of patients (48%), highlighting a persistent challenge in achieving complete electrical isolation.
Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cryoballoon ablation; Pulmonary vein isolation.
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