The Right Atrial Area as a New Factor to Predict Successful Pulmonary Vein Isolation: an Emergent Predictor Variable

Abstract

Up to now, few factors have been identified to predict successful pulmonary vein isolation, none of which with high predictive values. The objective of our study was to compare different predictive factors of atrial fibrillation recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation,including new parameters of the right atrium (area and index volume). We retrospectively analysed data from 66 patients and included echocardiogram parameters performed within 18 months prior to the ablation procedure. We excluded patients with left ventricular dysfunction (defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%); previous diagnostic of cardiomyopathy; severe valvular heart disease; severe pulmonary hypertension; or those with poor image quality in the echocardiogram. We considered atrial fibrillation recurrence to be the presence of atrial fibrillation of 30 seconds or longer demonstrated by a standard electrocardiogram or in a 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram within a year after the ablation procedure. We found that the right atrium area (odds ratio = 1.52; 95% confidence interval 0.95–2.43, P = 0.08) and a previous pulmonary vein isolation procedure (odds ratio = 0.21; 95% confidence interval 0.04–1.01, P = 0.05) were nearly statistically significant predictors of successful atrial fibrillation ablation at one year. Although our study was limited because of a low number of patients and because it is a retrospective analysis, we found that a higher right atrial area may be related to the late recurrence of atrial fibrillation. This tendency may be useful in predicting patient outcomes.