Table 1.
Included studies characteristics. AF atrial fibrillation, PVI pulmonary vein isolation, LVA low-voltage area.
| Study | Design | Population | Experimental Arm | Control Arm | Energy Source | Endpoint | Follow Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B. Yang et al. [16] (STABLE-SR) |
Multicenter, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial | Non-paroxysmal AF | PVI + cavotricuspid isthmus ablation + LVA ablation | PVI + STEPWISE ablation | Radiofrequency | Freedom from documented atrial arrhythmias for >30 s without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs |
18 months |
| G. Yang et al. [17] (STABLE-SR II) | Multicenter, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial | Non-paroxysmal AF | PVI + LVA ablation | PVI | Radiofrequency | Freedom from documented atrial arrhythmias for >30 s without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs | 18 months |
| H. Chen et al. [15] (STABLE-SR III) | Multicenter, single-blind, randomized clinical trial | Paroxysmal AF, 65 to 80 years | PVI + LVA ablation | PVI | Radiofrequency | Freedom from documented atrial arrhythmias for >30 s without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs | 23 months |
| Y. Huo et al. [19] (ERASE) | Multicenter, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial | Persistent AF | PVI + LVA ablation | PVI | Radiofrequency | Freedom from documented atrial arrhythmias for >30 s | 12 months |
| S. Kircher et al. [20] | Single-center, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial | Paroxysmal and Persistent AF | PVI + LVA ablation | PVI (+ posterior wall box and posterior mitral annulus line in persistent AF) | Radiofrequency | Freedom from documented atrial arrhythmias for >30 s | 12 months |
| B. Kaiser et al. [18] | Single-center, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial. | Persistent AF | PVI + LVA ablation | PVI + linear lesions + CFAE ablation | Radiofrequency | Freedom from any atrial arrhythmia after the 90 days blanking period without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs |
12 months |
| M. Masuda et al. [23] (VOLCANO) | Multicenter, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial. | Paroxysmal AF | PVI + LVA ablation | PVI alone | Radiofrequency or Cryoballoon | Freedom from any atrial arrhythmia after the 90 days blanking period without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs |
24 months |