Table 2.
Study characteristics
| Study | Kuroki et al. [14] | Cochet et al. [13] | Nakatani et al. [15] | Blockhause et al. [17] | Reddy et al. [12] | Maurhofer et al. [16] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study design |
Prospective Non-randomized Single center |
Prospective Non-randomized Single center |
Prospective Non-randomized Single center |
Retrospective Non-randomized Single center |
Prospective Randomized Multi-center |
Prospective Non-randomized Single center |
| Study population | Patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF resistant to AAD, LVEF > 40% and LA diameter < 5.5 cm (IMPULSE) or LA diameter < 5 cm (PEFCAT I and II) | Patients with paroxysmal AF referred for first catheter ablation procedure without contraindication to gadolinium-enhanced cardiac MRI | Patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing first catheter ablation with no contraindication to gadolinium-enhanced cardiac MRI | Patients with AF who were previously selected for pulmonary vein isolation ablation at a single center | Patients with symptomatic paroxysmal AF resistant to AAD, LVEF > 40% and LA diameter < 5.5 cm | Patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing first catheter ablation |
| Pulsed field ablation catheter | Farawave (Farapulse-Boston Scientific) | Farawave (Farapulse-Boston Scientific) | Farawave (Farapulse-Boston Scientific) | Farawave (Farapulse-Boston Scientific) | Farawave (Farapulse-Boston Scientific) | Farawave (Farapulse-Boston Scientific) |
| Pulsed field waveform | Monophasic or biphasic | Biphasic | Biphasic | NR | Biphasic | Biphasic |
| Type of thermal ablation | Radiofrequency | Radiofrequency in 16 (70%) and cryoablation in 7 (30%) | Radiofrequency in 16 (70%) and cryoablation in 7 (30%) | Cryoablation | Radiofrequency in 167 (55%) and cryoablation in 135 (45%) | Radiofrequency in 80 (50%) and cryoablation in 80 (50%) |
| Thermal ablation catheter | Contact force–sensing TactiCath catheter (St. Jude Medical) or ThermoCool NaviStar catheter (Biosense Webster) | Contact-force irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter (Thermocool Smarttouch, Biosense Webster) or a 28-mm cryoballoon catheter (Arctic Front Advance, Medtronic) | Contact-force irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter (Thermocool Smarttouch, Biosense Webster) or a 28-mm cryoballoon catheter (Arctic Front Advance, Medtronic) | 28-mm cryoballoon catheter (2nd generation, Arctic Front Advance, Medtronic) | Saline-irrigated force-sensing radiofrequency ablation catheter or 23-mm or 28-mm cryoballoon catheter (2nd generation, Arctic Front Advance, Medtronic) | Contact-force irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter (Thermocool Smarttouch, Biosense Webster) or a 28-mm cryoballoon catheter (Artctic Front Advance, Medtronic) |
| Follow-up | 3 months | 3 months | 9 months | None | 12 months | 12 months |
| Monitoring | None | None | 12-lead ECG at 1, 3, and 6 months, 24-h Holter if symptomatic | None | 72-h Holter at 6 and 12 months, and trans-telephonic ECG weekly for symptoms | 7-day Holter at 3, 6, and 12 months |
| Imaging obtained | Baseline and 3-month cardiac computed tomography scan | Baseline, within 3-h post-ablation, and 3-month cardiac magnetic resonance imaging | Baseline, within 3-h post-ablation, and 3-month cardiac magnetic resonance imaging | None | 3-month cardiac computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging | None |
Abbreviations: AAD, antiarrhythmic drug; AF, atrial fibrillation; ECG, electrocardiogram; LA, left atrium