Photo Credit: Henadzi Pechan
This study investigates the recovery course of Phrenic nerve injury (PNI) following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, comparing cryoballoon (CB), laser balloon (LB), and radiofrequency (RF) methods, revealing that CB ablation leads to a significantly quicker resolution of PNI within 24 hours and 3 months post-procedure compared to LB and RF-SVC ablation methods.
The following is a summary of “Phrenic nerve injury after atrial fibrillation ablation: different recovery courses among cryoballoon, laser balloon, and radiofrequency ablation,” published in the January 2024 issue of Cardiology by Shigeta et al.
The recovery course of Phrenic nerve injury (PNI) following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, particularly concerning various ablation methods, still needs to be more adequately explored.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to compare the recovery course of PNI in cryoballoon (CB), laser balloon (LB), and radiofrequency (RF) ablation methods.
They conducted a study involving 355 patients who experienced PNI during AF ablation. PNI incidents were observed in 288 patients undergoing CB ablation (CB group), 20 patients undergoing LB ablation (LB group) for pulmonary vein isolation, and 47 patients undergoing RF ablation for superior vena cava (SVC) isolation (RF-SVC group).
The results showed a significant difference in the estimated probability of PNI recovery post-procedure among the methods (P=0.01). PNI recovery occurred notably earlier in the CB group within 24 hours and 3 months post-procedure (recovery percentages within 24 hours and 3 months: 49.7% and 71.5% in the CB group, 15.0% and 22.2% in the LB group, and 23.4% and 41.9% in the RF-SVC group). PNI after 12 months was observed in only seven patients in the CB group, one in the LB group, and four in the RF-SVC group.
Investigators concluded that though most PNI resolves within 12 months after AF ablation, recovery is quicker with CB ablation than with LB or RF SVC ablation.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00392-023-02365-3
