Effect of Pulmonary Vein Isolation with Left Atrial Wall Isolation Plus Selective CFAE Ablation in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a foundational treatment for persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF), but the effectiveness of adding posterior wall isolation (PWI) and selective complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) ablation in the roof and anterior wall remains debated. The potential of these additional ablation techniques to improve long-term outcomes for PeAF patients is still uncertain.

Methods: This retrospective study included 151 PeAF patients who underwent first-time catheter ablation at our center. The choice of ablation strategy was based on the operator's clinical judgment, taking into account the patient's specific condition and anatomical features. Patients were divided into two groups: the PVI group, which received PVI alone, and the modified PWI (MPWI) group, which received PVI along with additional PWI and selective CFAEs ablation in the roof and anterior wall. The primary endpoint was the absence of atrial arrhythmia lasting more than 30 s, without antiarrhythmic drugs, at 12 months.

Results: At the 12-month follow-up, 77.3% of the patients in the MPWI group and 52.1% of the patients in the PVI group remained in sinus rhythm without an atrial arrhythmia recurrence (p = 0.001). The BIC-based Cox regression analysis identified the ablation strategy and atrial fibrillation (AF) duration as independent predictors of recurrence across the cohort. It was found that MPWI significantly reduced the risk of recurrence, while a longer AF duration increased it. In the MPWI group, AF duration, left ventricular internal diameter in systole (LVIDs), and moderate or greater tricuspid regurgitation were independent predictors of recurrence. In the PVI group, only the left atrial low voltage area (LVA) index was a significant predictor.

Conclusion: The addition of PWI and selective CFAE ablation to PVI significantly improves 12-month arrhythmia-free survival compared to PVI alone, demonstrating the superiority of this combined approach in improving long-term outcomes for patients with persistent AF.