AUTHOR=Song Zi-liang , Wu Shao-hui , Zhang Dao-liang , Jiang Wei-feng , Qin Mu , Liu Xu 

TITLE=Clinical Safety and Efficacy of Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation Patients With a History of Stroke

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.630090

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2021.630090

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation patients with a history of stroke.</p><p><bold>Methods and Results:</bold> A total of 116 symptomatic, drug-refractory AF patients with a history of stroke, and 1:2 matched patients without a history of stroke were enrolled. Of these, 28 cases occurred stroke within 3 months (Group 1), 88 cases with stroke history longer than 3 months (Group 2), and 232 cases without stroke (Group 3). PVI was performed in all patients, extended to ablation of linear lesions ablation. The periprocedural stroke rates and other procedure-related in-hospital complications did not differ significantly among the three groups. The maintenance rate of SR after the procedure showed no significant difference (<italic>p</italic> = 0.333), 52.7, 66.4, and 70.7% in Group 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Furthermore, the comparison between a history of stroke and those without it were also shown no significant difference (<italic>p</italic> = 0.351).</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Radiofrequency ablation for AF patients occurred stroke, even within 3 months is safe and effective, without higher periprocedural complication rate and recurrence rate.</p>