Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the included studies: pre-RFCA vs. post-RFCA.
| Source (Year) | Study design | Type of AF | Prior treatment with AAD | Mean duration of AF (year) | Procedure type | Successful ablation of AF | Follow up measurement of SF-36 (month) | Number of patients | Age (Year) | Mean LA diameter (mm) | Major exclusion criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tada et al. (2003) | Observational study | Paroxysmal | Y | 6.5 ± 6.8 | SPVI | 56% | 6 | 50 | 58 ± 7 | 40 ± 7 | NR |
| Pürerfellner et al. (2004) | Observational study | Paroxysmal | Y | 6.3 ± 5.4 | SPVI | 89.3% | 6 | 61 | 52.6 ± 10.8 | 42 ± 6 | Significant underlying heart disease |
| Cha et al. (2008) | Observational study | Paroxysmal (52%), Persistent or Permanent (42%) | Y | 6.4 ± 5.9 | CPVI (57%), WACA (42%) | 83.6% | 12 | 432 | 54 ± 10 | NR | NR |
| Carnlöf et al. (2010) | Observational study | Paroxysmal, Persistent | Y | NR | PVI | NR | 6 | 34 | 53 ± 9 | NR | NR |
| Wokhlu et al. (2010) | Observational study | Paroxysmal (51%), Persistent (35%), Long-standing (13%) | Y | 6.6 ± 5.9 | CPVI (22%), WACA (78%) | 87% | 24 | 323 | 55.9 ± 10.3 | NR | NR |
| Reynolds et al. (2010) | Observational study* | Paroxysmal | Y | 3 (2–8) | CPVI + Linear ablation, CFAE ablation, Cavotricuspid isthmus ablation (based on operator’s decision) | 66% | 3 | 97 | 55.5 ± 9.4 | 40.0 ± 1.1 | Ejection fraction of less than 40%, previous ablation for AF, myocardial infarction within the previous 2 months, severe pulmonary disease |
| Pappone et al. (2011) | Observational study* | Paroxysmal | Y | 6 ± 4 | CPVA + Cavotricuspid isthmus ablation | 72.7% | 48 | 99 | 55 ± 10 | 40 ± 6 | Persistent AF, Left atrial diameter > 65 mm, LVEF < 35%, heart failure symptoms |
| Höglund et al. (2013) | Observational study | Paroxysmal (50%), Persistent (48%), Long-standing (2%) | Y | NR | SPVI (34%), wide antral circumferential isolation (41%), isolation with the multi-polar catheter (25%) | 62% | 10 | 105 | 58 ± 9 | 44 ± 7 | NR |
| Mantovan et al. (2013) | Observational study* | Paroxysmal (64%), Persistent (36%) | Y | 7 ± 7 | WACA (32%), WACA + CFAE (34%), CFAE (34%) | 63.0% | 12 | 100 | 57 ± 10 | 42 ± 6 | Patients with permanent atrial fibrillation, patients who have previously undergone atrial fibrillation ablation, patients with left atrial size >55 mm |
| Sang et al. (2013) | Observational study | Parosyxmal | Y | 7.5 ± 7.5 | CPVI, Cavotricuspid isthmus ablation (if atrial flutter was documented) | 72% | 12 | 82 | 55.9 ± 6.1 | 39.0 ± 5.9 | Previous nonpharmacological interventions for AF, New York Heart Association functional class III or IV, myocardial infarction, cardiac surgery or transient ischemic attack/stroke within the previous 6 months |
| Efremidis et al. (2014) | Observational study | Parosyxmal | Y | 4.9 ± 4.7 | WACA | 71.9% | 6 | 57 | 56.9 ± 12.2 | 40.4 ± 4.7 | Left atrial diameter >50 mm, systolic heart failure, persistent AF |
| Natale et al. (2014) | Observational study* | Parosyxmal | Y | 4.0 (1.4–7.1) | CPVI + Linear ablation, CFAE ablation, Cavotricuspid isthmus ablation (based on operator’s decision) | 74.0% | 12 | 117 | 58.3 ± 10.9 | 38.5 ± 5.6 | AF of more than 30 days in duration, ejection fraction <40%, previous AF ablation, New York Heart Association functional class III or class IV, severe pulmonary disease |
| Wynn et al. (2015) | Observational study* | Paroxysmal (39%), Persistent (61%) | Y | 5.5 ± 4.0 | WACA (49%), WACA + linear ablation (51%) | 64.8% | 12 | 122 | 61.9 ± 10.5 | 43 ± 6 | Long-standing (>12 months) persistent AF, previous AF ablation, documented typical atrial flutter |
*: These studies were originally randomized clinical trials. However, since we used pre and post data of only RFCA arm, we classified these studies as observational studies.
AAD: antiarrhythmic drugs; AF: atrial fibrillation; CFAE: complex fractionated atrial electrogram; CPVA: circumferential pulmonary vein ablation; CPVI: circumferential pulmonary vein isolation; LA: left atrium; LVEF: left ventricular ejection fraction; NR: not reported; PVI: pulmonary vein isolation; RFCA: radiofrequency catheter ablation; SF-36: short form-36; SPVI: segmental pulmonary vein isolation; WACA: wide area catheter ablation.