Table 1.
Table shows baseline and procedural (italics) parameters.
| Baseline/procedural parameters | Pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC) | IRF | Cryoballoon (CB) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients (n) | 23 | 14 | 5 | – |
| Sex male/female | 13/10 | 11/3 | 4/1 | 0.41 |
| Mean age | 68 ± 8 | 65 ± 7 | 63 ± 17 | 0.53 |
| Atrial fibrillation (AF) type paroxysmal/chronic (n) | 21/2 | 8/6 | 2/3 | 0.01 |
| Coronary artery disease (n) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0.73 |
| Hypertension (n) | 13 | 11 | 3 | 0.38 |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy (n) | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0.02 |
| Diabetes (n) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.81 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction (%) | 58 ± 6 | 56 ± 7 | 60 ± 5 | 0.72 |
| Mean left atrial diameter (mm) | 44 ± 6 | 44 ± 12 | 39 ± 4 | 0.25 |
| Type of oral anticoagulation (Coumadin/Dabigatran) | 16/7 | 12/2 | 5/0 | 0.36 |
| Ablations performed at University Hospital Regensburg | 23 | 3 | 0 | |
| Ablations performed at Heart Center Bad Krozingen | 0 | 5 | 0 | <0.0001 |
| Ablations performed at Heart Center Bad Neustadt | 0 | 6 | 5 | |
| Bilateral insonation (yes/no) of middle cerebral artery | 17/6 | 14/0 | 5/1 | 0.08 |
| Total procedure time (min) | 174 ± 77 | 153 ± 48 | 169 ± 12 | 0.74 |
| Fluoroscopy time (min) | 38 ± 21 | 26 ± 9 | 20 ± 7 | 0.36 |
| Energy applications (n) | 24 ± 10 | 52 ± 38 | 9 ± 2 | 0.001 |
| Power (W) | – | 36 ± 4 | – | – |
| Temperature (°C) | – | 43 ± 4 | – | – |
Homogeneity between groups was investigated using the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. There was a significant difference regarding AF type, left ventricular hypertrophy, employed ablation technique/center, and number of energy applications.