OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the potential of circumferential @entity358 for @entity955 ( @entity955 ) to maintain sinus rhythm (SR) over time, thus reducing mortality and morbidity while enhancing quality of life (QoL). BACKGROUND: Circumferential PV ablation is safe and effective, but the long-term outcomes and its impact on QoL have not been assessed or compared with those for medical therapy. METHODS: We examined the clinical course of 1,171 consecutive @entity1 with symptomatic @entity955 who were referred to us between January 1998 and March 2001. The 589 ablated @entity1 were compared with the 582 who received antiarrhythmic medications for SR control. The QoL of 109 ablated and 102 medically treated @entity1 was measured with the SF-36 survey. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 900 days (range 161 to 1,508 days). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed observed survival for ablated @entity1 was longer than among @entity1 treated medically (p < 0.001), and not different from that expected for healthy @entity1 of the same gender and calendar year of birth (p = 0.55). Cox proportional-hazards model revealed in the ablation group hazard ratios of 0.46 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31 to 0.68; p < 0.001) for all-cause mortality, of 0.45 (95% CI, 0.31 to 0.64; p < 0.001) for morbidities mainly due to @entity712 and @entity63 cerebrovascular events, and of 0.30 (95% CI, 0.24 to 0.37; p < 0.001) for @entity955 recurrence. Ablated @entity1 ' QoL, different from @entity1 treated medically, reached normative levels at six months and remained unchanged at one year. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary vein ablation improves mortality, morbidity, and QoL as compared with medical therapy. Our findings pave the way for randomized trials to prospect a wider application of ablation therapy for @entity955 .

Mortality, morbidity, and quality of life after circumferential XXXX for @entity955 : outcomes from a controlled nonrandomized long-term study.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'persons'] @entity712 :: ('MESH:D006333', 'Disease') :: ['heart failure'] @entity63 :: ('MESH:D007511', 'Disease') :: ['ischemic'] @entity358 :: ('MESH:D008171', 'Disease') :: ['pulmonary vein (PV) ablation'] @entity955 :: ('MESH:D001281', 'Disease') :: ['atrial fibrillation', 'AF']
@entity358 :: (MESH:D008171,Disease) :: ['pulmonary vein ablation']
