查看文章

This study explored whether complete electrical isolation of the left atrial (LA) posterior wall improves the rhythm outcome of catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Although the STAR AF2 (Substrate and Trigger Ablation for Reduction of Atrial Fibrillation Trial Part II) proved no additional benefit of empirical extra-pulmonary vein (PV) LA ablation, the long-term recurrence rate after circumferential PV isolation (CPVI) alone remains high.

We randomly assigned 217 patients with persistent AF (83.1% men, age 58.7 ± 10.8 years, 73.3% long-standing persistent AF) to ablation with CPVI alone (CPVI group) or CPVI with a POsterior wall Box Isolation (POBI group). The endpoint of the POBI group was the elimination of the posterior atrial potentials by roof and posterior inferior lines and touch-up focal ablation.

After a mean follow-up of 16.2 ± 8.8 months, the clinical …