Coronary artery disease in atrial fibrillation ablation: impact on arrhythmic outcomes
 
Coronary artery disease in atrial fibrillation ablation: impact on arrhythmic outcomes 
 
Ida Anna Cappello, Ida Anna Cappello, Luigi Pannone, Luigi Pannone, Domenico Giovanni Della Rocca, Domenico Giovanni Della Rocca, Antonio Sorgente, Antonio Sorgente, Alvise Del Monte, Alvise Del Monte, Sahar Mouram, Sahar Mouram, Giampaolo Vetta, Giampaolo Vetta, Rani Kronenberger, Rani Kronenberger, Robbert Ramak, Robbert Ramak, Ingrid Overeinder, Ingrid Overeinder, Gezim Bala, Gezim Bala, Alexandre Almorad, Alexandre Almorad, Erwin Ströker, Erwin Ströker, Juan Sieira, Juan Sieira, Mark La Meir, Mark La Meir, Dries Belsack, Dries Belsack, Andrea Sarkozy, Andrea Sarkozy, Pedro Brugada, Pedro Brugada, Kaoru Tanaka, Kaoru Tanaka, Gian Battista Chierchia, Gian Battista Chierchia, Ali Gharaviri, Ali Gharaviri, Carlo de Asmundis, Carlo de Asmundis
 
Abstract 

AIMS: Catheter ablation (CA) is an established treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). A computed tomography (CT) may be performed before ablation to evaluate the anatomy of pulmonary veins. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) detected by cardiac CT scan pre-ablation and to evaluate the impact of CAD and revascularization on outcomes after AF ablation.METHODS AND RESULTS: All consecutive patients with AF diagnosis, hospitalized at Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Belgium, between 2015 and 2019, were prospectively screened for enrolment in the study. Inclusion criteria were (i) AF diagnosis, (ii) first procedure of AF ablation with cryoballoon CA, and (iii) contrast CT scan performed pre-ablation. A total of 576 consecutive patients were prospectively included and analysed in this study. At CT scan, 122 patients (21.2\%) were diagnosed with CAD, of whom 41 patients (7.1\%) with critical CAD. At survival analysis, critical CAD at CT scan was a predictor of atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) recurrence during the follow-up, only in Cox univariate analysis [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.79] but was not an independent predictor in Cox multivariate analysis. At Cox multivariate analysis, independent predictors of AT recurrence were as follows: persistent AF (HR = 2.93) and left atrium volume index (HR = 1.04).CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing CT scan before AF ablation, critical CAD was diagnosed in 7.1\% of patients. Coronary artery disease and revascularization were not independent predictors of recurrence; thus, in this patient population, AF ablation should not be denied and can be performed together with CAD treatment.