Left Atrial Appendage Electrical Isolation Reduces Atrial Fibrillation Recurrences: A Simulation Study

Left Atrial Appendage Electrical Isolation Reduces Atrial Fibrillation Recurrences: A Simulation Study ■

Ali Gharaviri, Simone Pezzuto, Mark Potse, Sander Verheule, Giulio Conte, Rolf Krause, Ulrich Schotten, Angelo Auricchio

Abstract ■

Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) improves freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrences in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).1 However, PVI has a limited success rate in persistent AF patients and ablation techniques adjunctive to PVI isolating non-PV triggers remain an area of debate in these patients.1 Recently, there has been a growing interest in the electrical and anatomical role of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in triggering and sustaining AF, particularly in persistent AF patients or after repeated AF ablation procedures.2 Whether isolation of triggers originating from the LAA or substrate modification caused by LAA isolation (LAAI) is the underlying mechanism for AF recurrence prevention is still unknown.