Open Access

Pace-capture-guided ablation after contact-force-guided pulmonary vein isolation: results of the randomized controlled DRAGON trial

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Date: 17 November 2017
Journal: EP Europace Journal , Volume 20 , Issue 9 , Pages 1451 - 1458
Authors: M. Masuda , M. Fujita , O. Iida , S. Okamoto , T. Ishihara , K. Nanto , T. Kanda , A. Sunaga , T. Tsujimura , Y. Matsuda , T. Ohashi , M. Uematsu

ESC Journals

AbstractAims

Before the discovery of contact-force guidance, eliminating pacing capture along the pulmonary vein (PV) isolation line had been reported to improve PV isolation durability and rhythm outcomes. DRAGON (UMIN-CTR, UMIN000015332) aimed to elucidate the efficacy of pace-capture-guided ablation following contact-force-guided PV isolation ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.

Methods and results

A total of 156 paroxysmal AF patients with AF-trigger ectopies from any of the four PVs induced by isoproterenol were randomly assigned to undergo pace-capture-guided ablation along a contact-force-guided isolation line around AF-trigger PVs (PC group, n =76) or contact-force-guided PV isolation ablation alone (control group, n =80). Follow-up of at least 1 year commenced with serial 24 h Holter and symptom-triggered ambulatory monitoring. There was no significant difference in acute PV reconnection rates during a 20 min waiting period after the last ablation or adenosine infusion testing between the PC and the control groups (per patient, 21% vs. 27%, P = 0.27; per AF-trigger PV, 5.9% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.70; and per non-AF-trigger PV, 7.1% vs. 7.4%, P = 0.92). Atrial tachyarrhythmia-free survival rates off antiarrhythmic drugs after the initial session were comparable at 19.3 ± 6.2 months between the two groups (82% vs. 80%, P = 0.80). Among 22 patients who required a second ablation procedure, there was no difference between the PC and the control groups in the PV reconnection rates at both previously AF-trigger (29% vs. 43%, P = 0.70) and non-AF-trigger PVs (18% vs. 19%, P = 0.88).

Conclusions

Pace-capture-guided ablation performed after contact-force-guided PV isolation demonstrated no improvement in PV isolation durability or rhythm outcome.

About the contributors

Masaharu Masuda

Role: Author

Masashi Fujita

Role: Author

Osamu Iida

Role: Author