In conclusion , this meta- analysis shows that the use of CF technology decreases AF recurrence at a median follow-up of 12 months and also led to decreased use of RF during ablation .
There was no difference in total procedure length and fluoroscopy exposure
The suboptimal outcomes of atrial fibrillation ( AF ) ablation have been attributed to lack of transmural lesions during pulmonary vein isolation .
The advent of contact force ( CF ) sensing technology enables real-time assessment of the applied force at the catheter-tissue interface and increases the chances of transmural lesions .
We sought to perform a meta- analysis of data from eligible studies to delineate the true impact of CF technology .
Natural History and Long-Term Outcomes of Ablated Atrial Fibrillation
Background —Atrial  fibrillation ( AF ) ablation  is increasingly used in clinical practice . We aim ed to study the natural history and long-term outcomes of ablated AF . Methods and Results —We followed 831 patients after pulmonary vein isolation ( PVI ) performed in 2005 . We documented clinical outcomes using our prospect i ve AF registry with most recent up date on this group of patients in October 2009 . In the first year after ablation , 23.8 % had early recurrence . Over long-term follow-up ( 55 months ) , only 8.9 % had late arrhythmia recurrence defined as occurring beyond the first year after ablation . Repeat ablations in patients with late recurrence revealed conduction recovery in at least 1 of the previously isolated PVs in all of them and right-sided triggers with isoproterenol testing in 55.6 % . At last follow-up , clinical improvement was 89.9 % ( 79.4 % arrhythmia-free off antiarrhythmic drugs and 10.5 % with AF controlled with antiarrhythmic drugs ) . Only 4.6 % continued to have drug-resistant AF . It was possible to safely discontinue anticoagulation in a substantial proportion of patients with no recurrence in the year after ablation ( CHADS score ⩽2 , stroke incidence of 0.06 % per year ) . The procedure-related complication rate was very low . Conclusions —Pulmonary vein isolation is safe and efficacious for long-term maintenance of sinus rhythm and control of symptoms in patients with drug-resistant AF . It obviates the need for antiarrhythmic drugs , negative dromotropic agents , and anticoagulants in a substantial proportion of patients
In conclusion , this meta- analysis shows that the use of CF technology decreases AF recurrence at a median follow-up of 12 months and also led to decreased use of RF during ablation .
There was no difference in total procedure length and fluoroscopy exposure
The suboptimal outcomes of atrial fibrillation ( AF ) ablation have been attributed to lack of transmural lesions during pulmonary vein isolation .
The advent of contact force ( CF ) sensing technology enables real-time assessment of the applied force at the catheter-tissue interface and increases the chances of transmural lesions .
We sought to perform a meta- analysis of data from eligible studies to delineate the true impact of CF technology .