Areas of minimal generator impedance drop during the index atrial fibrillation ablation correlate with pulmonary vein reconnection sites despite adopting the CLOSE protocol

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is the cornerstone of atrial fibrillation (AF) management. However, AF recurrence is extremely common after a single procedure. The CLOSE protocol, which is the standardisation of radiofrequency catheter ablation by delivering a point-by-point lesion set defined by ablation index (AI), has demonstrated 80% freedom of AF. Yet PV reconnection is still up to 38% in these patients (1). A small decrease in generator impedance (GI), which is not part of the AI algorithm, has been associated with recovery of PV conduction.

Purpose

The study aimed to identify whether lesions having a poor impedance drop (PID) after wide area circumferential ablation (WACA) are associated with PV reconnection, despite adopting to the CLOSE protocol.

Methods

120 consecutive patients who had both the index (i-AFA) and redo AF ablations (r-AFA) due to AF recurrence at our centre from Jan 2018 to Jun 2021 were screened. 18 patients who had WACA around PVs using high power (40 to 50W) with a minimum AI of 400, whilst adhering the CLOSE protocol during the i-AFA, and who had evidence of PV reconnection during r-AFA, were included in the study. Ones who had left atrial (LA) substrate or cryoablation were excluded. GI was measured between the skin patch and ablation catheter. CARTO® system was used to create LA electroanatomical maps (EAMs) and register ablation lesions.

Each WACA around PVs was divided into eight anatomical segments (Figure). PID was defined as an impedance change of <8Ω, based on previous studies (2). These lesions were identified and categorised to the relevant anatomical segment in the i-AFA. Locations of the discrete ablation lesions that re-isolated PVs during the r-AFA, were used as a surrogate to denote areas of PV reconnection. These were also spatially matched to the relevant anatomical segment. Each EAM was reviewed by two electrophysiologists.

Results

30 out of the 36 WACAs (83%) and on average, at least 2 segments per WACA (2.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2-3.1) had reconnected. 54% of the reconnected segments had at least one lesion with PID. Having a lesion with PID in a PV segment in the i-AFA was significantly associated with evidence of PV reconnection in the same segment in the r-AFA (odds ratio: 2.1 [95% CI: 1.3-3.6; p<0.01]). Right posterior/inferior (56%) and left anterior/superior (50%) PV segments were the most common areas to reconnect and these areas were also associated with a higher incidence of PID lesions in the i-AFA (94% and 67%, respectively). Conversely, 80% of segments with all lesions having an impedance drop of ≥8Ω had no PV reconnection.

Conclusion

Lesions with PID in the i-AFA could impact PV reconnection, despite lesion contiguity and an adequate AI. Identifying and targeting these areas of PID, in addition to the CLOSE protocol, could potentially reduce AF recurrence. Prospective studies are needed to validate this hypothesis and its safety.

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