Cryoballoon Ablation of the Left Common Pulmonary Vein Using a Size-Adjustable Cryoballoon: A Comparative Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Electrophysiology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) is used for atrial fibrillation treatment.
• Efficacy of CBA for left common pulmonary vein (LCPV) isolation is not well-established.
• Comparison between fixed-size and size-adjustable cryoballoons for LCPV isolation is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate procedural outcomes of CBA for LCPV isolation.
• To compare the efficacy of POLARx (fixed 28-mm) versus POLARx FIT (size-adjustable 28/31-mm) cryoballoons.
• To assess long-term follow-up data for LCPV isolation using these devices.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients with LCPV undergoing CBA for atrial fibrillation.
• Comparison of procedural outcomes and long-term follow-up between POLARx and POLARx FIT groups.
• Data collected included first-freeze PVI success, ablation parameters, and arrhythmia recurrence.

Main Results:

• POLARx FIT showed a significantly higher first-freeze PVI success rate (28.6% vs 4.3%).
• Fewer applications (2.3 vs 3.2) and shorter total freezing time (377.7s vs 520.9s) were observed with POLARx FIT.
• One-year arrhythmia-free survival rates were comparable (78.7% vs 81.8%).

Conclusions:

• POLARx FIT is effective for LCPV isolation.
• POLARx FIT offers improved procedural efficiency with higher first-freeze success and reduced ablation time.
• Both devices provide similar long-term arrhythmia control.