Background: The optimal first-line approach for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We compared the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) in the initial management of symptomatic AF.Hypothesis: CBA is superior to AAD as initial therapy for symptomatic AF.Methods: We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared CBA with AAD as first-line treatment for AF from the date of database establishment until March 18, 2021. The risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of treatment effect.Results: Three RCTs that enrolled 724 patients in total were included in this metaanalysis. Majority of the patients were relatively young and had paroxysmal AF. CBA was associated with a significant reduction in the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia compared with AAD therapy, with low heterogeneity (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.49-0.71; p < .00001; I 2 = 0%). There was a significant difference in the rate of symptomatic atrial arrhythmia recurrence (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.29-0.65; p < .0001; I 2 = 0%); however, the rate of serious adverse events was similar between the two treatment groups (RR: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.71-1.97, p = .53; I 2 = 0%). Transient phrenic nerve palsy occurred in four patients after the CBA procedure.
Conclusion:The current meta-analysis suggests that CBA is more effective than AAD as initial therapy in patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF. Serious iatrogenic adverse events are uncommon in CBAs.
Introduction: Data on first-line ablation treatment for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) are scarce. This study indirectly compared the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) vs. radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as initial therapy for symptomatic AF.
Methods: We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared CBA or RFA with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) as first-line treatment for AF from the time of database establishment up to December 2021. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of the treatment effect.
Results: Six RCTs (3 CBA, 3 RFA) that enrolled a total of 1215 patients were included in this analysis. There were no significant differences in atrial arrhythmia (AA) (OR 0.993, 95% CI 0.602–1.638), symptomatic AA (OR 0.638, 95% CI 0.344–1.182), or serious adverse events (OR 1.474, 95% CI, 0.404–5.376) between the two ablation techniques. The incidences of additional CBA therapy (OR 2.693, 95% CI 1.277–5.681) and patients who crossed over to AAD therapy (OR 0.345 95% CI 0.179–0.664) in the CBA group were significantly lower than that in the RFA group.
Conclusion: Among patients with paroxysmal AF receiving initial therapy, CBA and RFA share a similar efficacy and safety profile. When pulmonary vein isolation is performed by CBA, study crossover and the need for additional ablation are substantially lower.
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