Figure 2: Comparison Between Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation Versus Antiarrhythmic Drugs Treatment.

A: Decrease in premature ventricular complex PVC burden. The reduction in PVC frequency was greater with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) than with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) (-21,799/24 h versus -8,376/24 h; p<0.001). B: Improvement in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF). The LVEF was increased significantly after RFA (53 %–56 %; p<0.001) but not after AAD (52 %–52 %; p=0.6) therapy. Of 121 (24%) patients with reduced LVEF, 39 (32 %) had LVEF normalisation to 50 % or greater. LVEF was restored in 25/53 (47 %) patients in the RFA group compared with 14/68 (21 %) patients in the AAD group (p=0.003). LVOT = left ventricular outflow tract; OT = outflow tract; RVOT = right ventricular outflow tract. Source: Reprinted from Heart Rhythm, 11, Zhong L, Lee YH, Huang XM, et al, Relative efficacy of catheter ablation vs antiarrhythmic drugs in treating premature ventricular contractions: A single-center retrospective study, 187–93, 2014, with permission from Elsevier.[52]