Direct or coincidental elimination of stable rotors or focal sources may explain successful atrial fibrillation ablation: on-treatment analysis of the CONFIRM trial (Conventional ablation for AF with or without focal impulse and rotor modulation).

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

This study sought to determine whether ablation of recently described stable atrial fibrillation (AF) sources, either directly by Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation (FIRM) or coincidentally when anatomic ablation passes through AF sources, may explain long-term freedom from AF.

Background

It is unclear why conventional anatomic AF ablation can be effective in some patients yet ineffective in others with similar profiles.

Methods

The CONFIRM (Conventional Ablation for AF With or Without Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation) trial prospectively revealed stable AF rotors or focal sources in 98 of 101 subjects with AF at 107 consecutive ablation cases. In 1:2 fashion, subjects received targeted source ablation (FIRM) followed by conventional ablation, or conventi

SUBMITTER: Narayan SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3703494 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature