Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: May 29, 2015
Propensity-matched comparison of cryoballoon and radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation in elderly patients
Takashi Ikenouchi1, Junichi Nitta1, Giiti Nitta1
1Department of Cardiology, Japanese Red Cross Saitama Hospital, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Background:
Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with a cryoballoon (CB) is an effective treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). The efficacy of CB PVI for elderly patients with AF remains unclear.
Objective:
We aimed to analyze the clinical outcomes of CB ablation compared with radiofrequency (RF) ablation in elderly patients with AF.
Methods:
This was a single-center retrospective study of 305 patients older than 75 years with paroxysmal and persistent AF who underwent PVI between January 2012 and August 2017. Patients were matched according to propensity scores in a logistic regression model. The end point of this study was AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence at 12-month follow-up.
Results:
In total, 198 patients (99 matched pairs) were analyzed. The ratio of paroxysmal AF was 83%, and the mean age was 78 ± 2 years. The mean procedure time was significantly lower in the CB group (134 ± 62 minutes vs 190 ± 51 minutes; P < .001). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of success rate at 12 months after the procedure (CB 80.5% vs RF 79.4%; P = .72) or incidence of complications (CB 12% vs RF 16%; P = .80). Kaplan-Meier estimates revealed no significant difference between clinical outcomes after PVI with a CB or RF for elderly patients with non-pulmonary vein foci that were all successfully ablated (CB 68.8% vs RF 68.4% at 12 months; P = .835).
Conclusion:
The efficacy of PVI with a CB might be comparable to that of PVI with RF in AF patients older than 75 years and involve a shorter procedure time.
More Related Videos
08:00Reduction of Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defects with an Anterior and Inferior Transseptal Puncture Site when Operating the Cryoballoon Ablation Catheter
Published on: June 15, 2015
28:13Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Amyloid Fibrils
Sign Test for Matched Pairs
To conduct the sign test, we first calculate the differences in...
Fibril-associated Collagen
For example, the type II collagen fibrils in cartilage have covalently bound type IX fibril-associated collagens at regular intervals. Other types of fibril-associated collagens are...
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test for Matched Pairs