A case of cardiac sarcoidosis with successful heart transplantation after COVID-19 infection.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and cardiac sarcoidosis can both present with ventricular tachycardia. We report a case of a patient whose histological diagnosis was not only confirmed by the transplanted heart but who also underwent successful transplantation after overcoming COVID-19. .

Targeting non-pulmonary vein triggers in persistent atrial fibrillation: results from a prospective, multicentre, observational registry.

AIMS: We evaluated the efficacy of an ablation strategy empirically targeting pulmonary veins (PVs) and posterior wall (PW) and the prevalence and clinical impact of extrapulmonary trigger inducibility and ablation in a large cohort of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1803 PerAF patients were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI) extended to the entire PW. A standardized protocol was performed to confirm persistent PVAI and elicit any triggers originating from non-PV sites. All non-PV triggers initiating sustained atrial tachyarrhythmias were ablated. Ablation of non-PV sites triggering non-sustained runs (<30 s) of atrial tachyarrhythmias or promoting frequent premature atrial complexes (≥10/min) was left to operator's discretion. Overall, 1319 (73.2%) patients had documented triggers from non-PV areas. After 17.4 ± 8.5 months of follow-up, the cumulative freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias among patients without inducible non-PV triggers (n = 484) was 70.2%. Patients with ablation of induced non-PV triggers had a significantly higher arrhythmia control than those whose triggers were not ablated (67.9% vs. 39.4%, respectively; P < 0.001). After adjusting for clinically relevant variables, patients in whom non-PV triggers were documented but not ablated had an increased risk of arrhythmia relapse (hazard ratio: 2.39; 95% confidence interval: 2.01-2.83; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary vein antrum isolation extended to the entire PW might provide acceptable long-term arrhythmia-free survival in PerAF patients without inducible non-PV triggers. In our population of PerAF patients, non-PV triggers could be elicited in ∼70% of PerAF patients and their elimination significantly improved outcomes.

Impact of catheter ablation in patients with atrial flutter and concurrent heart failure.

BACKGROUND: No studies assessed impact of atrial flutter (AFL) ablation on outcomes in patients with AFL and concurrent heart failure (HF). OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of AFL ablation on mortality and HF readmissions in patients with AFL and HF. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study identified 15,952 patients with AFL and HF from the 2016-17 Nationwide Readmissions Database. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and/or HF readmission at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included HF readmission, all-cause mortality, and atrial fibrillation (AF) readmission at 1 year. Propensity score match (1:2) algorithm was used to adjust for confounders. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to generate hazard ratios. RESULTS: Of the 15,952 patients, 9889 had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and 6063 had heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In the matched HFrEF cohort (n = 5421), the primary outcome was significantly lower in patients undergoing ablation (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.85, P < .001). HF readmission (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61-0.89, P = .001), all-cause mortality (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.46-0.85, P = .003), and AF readmission (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.48-0.82, P = .001) were also significantly reduced. In the matched HFpEF cohort (n = 2439), the primary outcome was lower in the group receiving ablation but was not statistically significant (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.63-1.01, P = .065). CONCLUSION: In patients with AFL and HFrEF, AFL ablation was associated with lower mortality and HF readmissions at 1 year. Patients with AFL and HFpEF did not show a similar significant reduction in the primary outcome.

Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Concurrent Heart Failure.

Due to limited real-world data, the aim of this study was to explore the impact of catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure (HF). This retrospective cohort study identified 119,694 patients with AF and HF from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) from 2016 to 2017. Propensity-matching was generated using demographics, comorbidities, hospital and other characteristics through multivariate logistic regression. Greedy's propensity score match (1:15) algorithm was used to create matched data. The primary end point was a composite of HF readmission and mortality at 1 year. Secondary outcomes include HF readmission, mortality, AF readmission, and any-cause readmission at 1 year. Of the 119,694 patients, 63,299 had HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and 56,395 had HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In the overall HFrEF cohort, the primary outcome was similar (HR, 95% confidence interval, p-value) (1.01, 0.91 to 1.13, 0.811). AF readmission (0.41, 0.33 to 0.49, <0.001) and any readmission (0.87, 0.82 to 0.93, <0.001) were reduced with CA. In the propensity-matched HFrEF cohort, results were unchanged (primary outcome: 1.10, 0.95 to 1.27, 0.189; AF readmission: 0.46, 0.36 to 0.59, <0.001; any readmission: 0.89, 0.82 to 0.98, 0.015). In the overall HFpEF cohort, the primary outcome was similar (0.90, 0.78 to 1.04, 0.154). AF readmission was reduced with CA (0.54, 0.44 to 0.65, <0.001). In the propensity-matched HFpEF cohort, results were unchanged (primary outcome 1.10, 0.92 to 1.31, 0.289; AF readmission 0.44, 0.33 to 0.57, <0.001). CA did not reduce mortality and HF readmission at one year irrespective of the type of HF, but significantly reduce readmission due to AF.

Outcomes of patients admitted with ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Mortality caused by ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) remains a problem of epidemic proportions. Understanding current trends on admission of VA, patient characteristics, morbidity, mortality, and health care utilization could help us improve allocation of health care resources and risk prediction. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical outcomes of VA, including ventricular tachycardia (VT), implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks, and sudden cardiac death (SCD); and to identify predictors of morbidity and mortality, patterns of utilization of ICD and VT ablation, and the impact of such metrics on overall health care utilization. METHODS: From 2010-2015, we identified 290,998 VA hospitalizations, which were stratified into group 1: normal heart; group 2: ischemic heart disease (IHD); group 3: nonischemic heart disease (non-IHD); group 4: ICD shocks; and group 5: SCD (cardiac arrest without ICD shock). RESULTS: The number of admissions for VA decreased during the study period (except for patients with SCD and ICD shock, which increased); in-hospital mortality in patients admitted with VA and SCD increased; utilization of VT ablation in patients with ICD shocks and IHD increased; ICD implantation decreased in non-IHD patients and IHD patients; and admission for SCD was the strongest predictor of in-hospital mortality, followed by patients with non-IHD, patients with ICD shocks, and all patients with a Charlson comorbidity index ≥2. CONCLUSION: We report a decrease in admissions for VA, decreased ICD utilization, a change in pattern of VT ablation utilization, and an increase of in-hospital mortality in SCD patients. Predictors of adverse outcomes identified in our study should be considered when developing risk models for patients undergoing risk assessment for SCD.

Surgical left atrial appendage occlusion during cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of surgical left atrial appendage occlusion (s-LAAO) during concomitant cardiac surgery. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature search through May 31st 2018 for all eligible studies comparing s-LAAO vs no occlusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Clinical outcomes during follow-up included: embolic events, stroke, all-cause mortality, atrial fibrillation (AF), reoperation for bleeding and postoperative complications. We further stratified the analysis based on propensity matched studies and AF predominance. RESULTS: Twelve studies (n = 40107) met the inclusion criteria. s-LAAO was associated with lower risk of embolic events (OR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.53-0.76; P < 0.001) and stroke (OR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.57-0.82; P < 0.0001). Stratified analysis demonstrated this association was more prominent in the AF predominant strata. There was no significant difference in the incidence risk of all-cause mortality, AF, and reoperation for bleeding and postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Concomitant s-LAAO during cardiac surgery was associated with lower risk of follow-up thromboembolic events and stroke, especially in those with AF without significant increase in adverse events. Further randomized trials to evaluate long-term benefits of s-LAAO are warranted.

Painful left bundle branch block syndrome treated with his bundle pacing.

This is a case report of a patient with painful LBBB Syndrome that responded favorably to His Bundle Pacing. This syndrome is largely under recognized despite 50 reports in the literature over the last 60 years. Both diagnosis and treatment are not well defined and represent a major challenge in patients with this entity. Right ventricular pacing has been attempted with inconsistent efficacy outcomes. We report for the first-time complete resolution of chest pain with His bundle pacing. HBP provides a promising alternative pacing option that might provide symptom resolution to patients with a painful LBBB syndrome.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Inotrope-Dependent Heart Failure Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in inotrope-dependent patients with heart failure (HF) to ascertain the viability of CRT in these patients. BACKGROUND: During the last decade, significant numbers of trials have demonstrated the beneficial effect of CRT in the treatment of patients with HF and systolic dysfunction, prolonged QRS complex duration, and New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. However, it is currently undetermined whether CRT may benefit patients who require inotropic support. METHODS: The authors systematically searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library through March 2017 for studies evaluating outcomes after CRT in inotrope-dependent patients with HF. The study analyzed 8 studies including 151 patients. Most of the patients were in New York Heart Association functional class IV (80.1%), and all had severe systolic HF, with a left ventricular ejection fraction <30% and a significant intraventricular conduction delay in their surface electrocardiogram (QRS complex duration >130 ms). RESULTS: The pooled analysis demonstrated that 93% of the reported patients (95% confidence interval: 86% to 100%) were weaned from inotropic support after CRT, and the overall 12-month survival rate was 69% (95% confidence interval: 56% to 83%). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that rescue CRT may be considered a viable therapeutic option in inotrope-dependent patients with HF. In these patients, rescue CRT may allow them to be weaned from inotropic therapy, improve their quality of life, and decrease the rate of mortality; furthermore, rescue CRT may serve as a possible bridge to cardiac transplantation or left ventricular assist device therapy.

Frequency of in-hospital adverse outcomes and cost utilization associated with cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator implantation in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The utilization of cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) has increased significantly, since its initial approval for use in selected patients with heart failure. Limited data exist as for current trends in implant-related in-hospital complications and cost utilization. The aim of our study was to examine in-hospital complication rates associated with CRT-D and their trends over the last decade. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we estimated 378 248 CRT-D procedures from 2003 to 2012. We investigated common complications, including mechanical, cardiovascular, pericardial complications (hemopericardium, cardiac tamponade, or pericardiocentesis), pneumothorax, stroke, vascular complications (consisting of hemorrhage/hematoma, incidents requiring surgical repair, and accidental arterial puncture), and in-hospital deaths described with CRT-D, defining them by the validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code. Mechanical complications (5.9%) were the commonest, followed by cardiovascular (3.6%), respiratory failure (2.4%), and pneumothorax (1.5%). Age (≥65 years), female gender (OR, 95% CI; P value) (1.08, 1.03-1.13; 0.001), and the Charlson score ≥3 (1.52, 1.45-1.60; <0.001) were significantly associated with increased mortality/complications. CONCLUSIONS: The overall complication rate in patients undergoing CRT-D has been increasing in the last decade. Age (≥65), female sex, and the Charlson score ≥3 were associated with higher complications. In patients who underwent CRT-D implantation, postoperative complications were associated with significant increases in cost.

Causes and Predictors of Readmission in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Catheter Ablation: A National Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Reducing readmission after catheter ablation (CA) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is important. METHODS AND RESULTS: We utilized National Readmission Data (NRD) 2010-2014. AF was identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic code 427.31 in the primary field, while first CA of AF was identified via ICD-9-procedure code 37.34. Any admission within 30 or 90 days of index admission was considered a readmission. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to adjust for confounders. The primary outcomes were 30- and 90-day readmissions and the secondary outcome was AF recurrence. In total, 1 128 372 patients with AF were identified from January 1, 2010 to September 30, 2014. Of which 37 360 (3.3%) underwent CA. Patients aged ≥65 years and female sex were less likely to receive CA for AF. Overall, 10.9% and 16.5% of CA patients were readmitted within 30 and 90 days post-CA, respectively. Most common causes of readmissions were arrhythmia (AF, atrial flutter), heart failure, pulmonary causes (pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and bleeding complications (gastrointestinal bleed, intracranial hemorrhage). Patients with diabetes mellitus, heart failure, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic pulmonary and kidney disease, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), female sex, length of stay ≥2 and disposition to the facility were prone to higher 30- and 90-day readmissions post-CA. Predictors of increase in AF recurrence post-CA were female sex, diabetes mellitus, chronic pulmonary disease, and length of stay ≥2. Trends of 90-day readmission and AF recurrence were found to improve over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: We identified several demographic and clinical factors associated with the use of CA in AF, and short-term outcomes of the same, which could potentially help in the patient selection and improve outcomes.

Temporal trends of in-hospital complications associated with catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in the United States: An update from Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (2011-2014).

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation is widely accepted intervention for atrial fibrillation (AF) refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs, but limited data are available regarding contemporary trends in major complications and in-hospital mortality due to the procedure. This study was aimed at exploring the temporal trends of in-hospital mortality, major complications, and impact of hospital volume on frequency of AF ablation-related outcomes. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was utilized to identify the AF patients treated with catheter ablation. In-hospital death and common complications including vascular access complications, cardiac perforation and/or tamponade, pneumothorax, stroke, and transient ischemic attack, were identified using International Classification of Disease (ICD-9-CM) codes. RESULT: In-hospital mortality rate of 0.15% and overall complication rate of 5.46% were noted among AF ablation recipients (n = 50,969). Significant increase in complications during study period (relative increase 56.37%, P-trend < 0.001) was observed. Cardiac (2.65%), vascular (1.33%), and neurological (1.05%) complications were most common. On multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR]; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]; P value), significant predictors of complications were female sex (OR = 1.40; CI = 1.17-1.68; P value < 0.001), high burden of comorbidity as indicated by Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2 (OR = 2.84; CI = 2.29-3.52; P value < 0.001), and low hospital volume (< 50 procedures). CONCLUSION: Our study noted a decline in AF ablation-related hospitalizations and complications associated with the procedure. These findings largely reflect shifting trends of outpatient performance of the procedure and increasing safety profile due to improved institutional expertise and catheter techniques.

Anticoagulation After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: Is it time to Discontinue in Select Patient Population?

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation is an effective strategy for treatment of drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). Continuation of oral anticoagulation (OAC) beyond 3 months after an apparently successful ablation of AF remains controversial. METHODS: A systematic electronic search of the scientific literature was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Google Scholar. Studies comparing continuation vs discontinuation of OACs after an apparent successful ablation of AF among patients with CHA2DS2VASC or CHADS2 score ≥2were included. Clinical outcomes included cerebrovascular events, systemic thromboembolism and major bleeding. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals for above outcomes were calculated. RESULTS: Nine observational studies were eligible and included 3,436patients of whom 1,815 continued OACs and1,621 discontinued OAC post -AF ablation. There was no significant difference in risk of cerebrovascular events (RR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.42 to 1.70, p= 0.64)and systemic thromboembolism (RR: 1.21, 95%CI: 0.66 to 2.23, p= 0.54)between the two groups. Continuation of OACs was associated with an increased risk of major bleeding (RR: 6.50, 95% CI: 2.53 to 16.74, p= 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, discontinuation of oral anticoagulation 3 months after a successful AF ablation appears to be safe in highly selected closely monitored patients. Further randomized trials are warranted to assess the safety of discontinuing OACs after AF ablation.

Role of Cardiac Imaging in Evaluating Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major cause of death from cardiovascular disease. Our ability to predict patients at the highest risk of developing lethal ventricular arrhythmias remains limited. Despite recent studies evaluating risk stratification tools, there is no optimal strategy. Cardiac imaging provides the opportunity to assess left ventricular ejection fraction, strain, fibrosis, and sympathetic innervation, all of which are pathophysiologically related to SCD risk. These modalities may play a role in the identification of vulnerable anatomic substrates that provide the pathophysiologic basis for SCD. Further studies are required to identify optimal imaging platform for risk assessment.

Atrial Substrate and Triggers of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with atrial remodeling, atrial fibrillation (AF), and increased incidence of arrhythmia recurrence after pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. We aimed to characterize the atrial substrate, including AF triggers in patients with paroxysmal AF and OSA. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 86 patients with paroxysmal AF (43 with ≥moderate OSA [apnea-hypopnea index ≥15] and 43 without OSA [apnea-hypopnea index <5]), right atrial and left atrial voltage distribution, conduction velocities, and electrogram characteristics were analyzed during atrial pacing. AF triggers were examined before and after PV isolation and targeted for ablation. Patients with OSA had lower atrial voltage amplitude (right atrial, P=0.0005; left atrial, P=0.0001), slower conduction velocities (right atrial, P=0.02; left atrial, P=0.0002), and higher prevalence of electrogram fractionation (P=0.0001). The areas of atrial abnormality were consistent among patients, most commonly involving the left atrial septum (32/43; 74.4%). At baseline, the PVs were the most frequent triggers for AF in both groups; however, after PV isolation patients with OSA had increased incidence of additional extra-PV triggers (41.8% versus 11.6%; P=0.003). The 1-year arrhythmia-free survival was similar between patients with and without OSA (83.7% and 81.4%, respectively; P=0.59). In comparison, control patients with paroxysmal AF and OSA who underwent PV isolation alone without ablation on extra-PV triggers had increased risk of arrhythmia recurrence (83.7% versus 64.0%; P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: OSA is associated with structural and functional atrial remodeling and increased incidence of extra-PV triggers. Elimination of these triggers resulted in improved arrhythmia-free survival.

Atrial fibrillation: Utility of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores as predictors of readmission, mortality and resource utilization.

BACKGROUND: CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores are widely used for thromboembolic risk assessment in Atrial Fibrillation(AF) cohort, however further utilization to predict outcomes is understudied. METHOD: HCUP's National Readmission Data(NRD) 2013 was queried for AF admissions using ICD-9-CM code 427.31 in principal diagnosis field. Patients with mitral valve disease or repair/or replacement were excluded to estimate population with non-valvular AF only. CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc were calculated for each patient. Hierarchical two-level logistic and linear models were used to evaluate study outcomes in terms of mortality, 30 or 90-day readmissions, length of stay(LOS) and cost. RESULT: Of 116,450 principal non-valvular AF admissions(50.2% female and 43.1% age≥75years) 29,179 patients were readmitted, with total 40,959 readmissions. Higher CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc score were associated with increased mortality from 0.4% for CHADS2 of 0 to 3.2% for score of 6 and from 0.2% for CHA2DS2-VASc of 0 to 3.2% for score≥8. LOS increased from 2.20days for CHADS2 of 0 to 5.08days for score of 6, while cost increased from $7888 to $11,151. 30-day readmission rate increased from 8.9% for CHADS2 of 0 to 26.0% for score of 6, and 90-day readmission rate increased from 15.2% to 39%. CHA2DS2-VASc scoring similarly demonstrated a trend towards increasing readmission rate, LOS and cost for higher scores. Also, similar results were seen in hierarchical modeling with increment of CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores. CONCLUSION: CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scores can be used as quick surrogate markers for predicting outcomes beyond thromboembolic risk. Physician familiarity with these systems makes them easy to use bedside clinical tools to improve outcomes and resource allocation.

Effects of Transendocardial Stem Cell Injection on Ventricular Proarrhythmia in Patients with Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: Results from the POSEIDON and TAC-HFT Trials.

Transendocardial stem cell injection in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) improves left ventricular function and structure but has ill-defined effects on ventricular arrhythmias. We hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) implantation is not proarrhythmic. Post hoc analyses were performed on ambulatory ECGs collected from the POSEIDON and TAC-HFT trials. Eighty-eight subjects (mean age 61 ± 10 years) with ICM (mean EF 32.2% ± 9.8%) received treatment with MSC (n = 48), Placebo (n = 21), or bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMC) (n = 19). Heart rate variability (HRV) and ventricular ectopy (VE) were evaluated over 12 months. VE did not change in any group following MSC implantation. However, in patients with ≥ 1 VE run (defined as ≥ 3 consecutive premature ventricular complexes in 24 hours) at baseline, there was a decrease in VE runs at 12 months in the MSC group (p = .01), but not in the placebo group (p = .07; intergroup comparison: p = .18). In a subset of the MSC group, HRV measures of standard deviation of normal intervals was 75 ± 30 msec at baseline and increased to 87 ± 32 msec (p =.02) at 12 months, and root mean square of intervals between successive complexes was 36 ± 30 msec and increased to 58.2 ± 50 msec (p = .01) at 12 months. In patients receiving MSCs, there was no evidence for ventricular proarrhythmia, manifested by sustained or nonsustained ventricular ectopy or worsened HRV. Signals of improvement in ventricular arrhythmias and HRV in the MSC group suggest a need for further studies of the antiarrhythmic potential of MSCs. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1366-1372.

Long-term follow-up of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and severe left atrial scarring: comparison between pulmonary vein antrum isolation only or pulmonary vein isolation combined with either scar homogenization or trigger ablation.

AIMS: Left atrial (LA) scarring, a consequence of cardiac fibrosis is a powerful predictor of procedure-outcome in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing catheter ablation. We sought to compare the long-term outcome in patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) and severe LA scarring identified by 3D mapping, undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVAI) only or PVAI and the entire scar areas (scar homogenization) or PVAI+ ablation of the non-PV triggers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Totally, 177 consecutive patients with PAF and severe LA scarring were included. Patients underwent PVAI only (n = 45, Group 1), PVAI+ scar homogenization (n = 66, Group 2) or PVAI+ ablation of non-PV triggers (n = 66, Group 3) based on operator's choice. Baseline characteristics were similar across the groups. After first procedure, all patients were followed-up for a minimum of 2 years. The success rate at the end of the follow-up was 18% (8 pts), 21% (14 pts), and 61% (40 pts) in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Cumulative probability of AF-free survival was significantly higher in Group 3 (overall log-rank P <0.01, pairwise comparison 1 vs. 3 and 2 vs. 3 P < 0.01). During repeat procedures, non-PV triggers were ablated in all. After average 1.5 procedures, the success rates were 28 (62%), 41 (62%), and 56 (85%) in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (log-rank P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with PAF and severe LA scarring, PVAI+ ablation of non-PV triggers is associated with significantly better long-term outcome than PVAI alone or PVAI+ scar homogenization.