AIM To explore the correlation between the variability of catheter contact force measurements and the recurrence of the first radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation.
METHODS Sixty-nine patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation in Fuyang People’s Hospital from August 2019 to August 2020 were chosen for this study. All patients recovered sinus rhythm under the guidance of CARTO3 system for the first radiofrequency ablation and the force data were collected from the real-time contact force measurements. Patients were followed up regularly to observe the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after the ablation and they were divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group. The correlation between the variability of catheter contact force measurements and the recurrence of the first radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation was explored.
RESULTS In this study, all patients were followed up for an average of 14 months after ablation and 18 patients had recurrence of atrial fibrillation while 51 patients had no recurrence. The anterior and posterior diameter of the left atrial in the recurrent group and non-recurrent group was: ( 45 ± 7)vs. ( 39 ± 7) mm, P<0.05. The time from the first discovery of atrial fibrillation to ablation was 24 (8,60) months vs. 7 (1,24) months, P<0.01. Variability of ablation catheter contact force was (5.64 ± 0.59) vs. (5.06 ± 0.46), P<0.01, Binary logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that the anterior and posterior diameter of the left atrial and the variability of ablation catheter contact force were independent predictors of the recurrence of the first of ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation. OR values, 95% confidence intervals and P values were 9.489, 2.080-43.280, P<0.01 and 1.152, 1.019-1.302, P<0.05.
CONCLUSION Variability of ablation catheter contact force and left atrial anterior posterior diameter can be used as predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence after the first radiofrequency ablation.