Catheter Ablation for the Cure of Atrial Fibrillation Study

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Catheter Ablation for the Cure of Atrial
Fibrillation Study
CACAF Study
Presented at American College of
Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2005 Presented by
Dr. Emanuele Bertaglia
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CACAF Study
137 patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial
fibrillation intolerant to or who have already
failed 2 antiarrhythmic drugs. First atrial
fibrillation diagnosis at least 6 months prior to
enrollment. Randomized

• Catheter Ablation and Antiarrhythmic Drugs
• n68

Antiarrhythmic Drugs n69

• Endpoint
• Total absence of atrial tachyarrhythmia
  recurrence during 12 month follow-up

Presented at ACC Scientific Sessions 2005
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CACAF Study
At Least 1 AF Recurrence

• The primary endpoint of atrial arrhythmia free
  survival was higher in the ablation group
  compared with the control group (plt0.001), with
  44 of the ablation group and 91 of the control
  group having at least 1 AF recurrence.
• Procedure duration was 193 minutes in the
  ablation group, with fluoroscopy time of 25
  minutes.
• All patients in the ablation group had right
  isthmus block and 30 had left isthmus block.
• Major complications were similar in the two
  treatment groups (5.9 for ablation group and
  5.8 for control group).

plt0.001
Presented at ACC Scientific Sessions 2005
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CACAF Study Summary

• Among patients with paroxysmal or persistent
  atrial fibrillation who have already failed
  antiarrhythmic drugs, use of catheter ablation
  was associated with a reduction in atrial
  fibrillation recurrence at 1 year compared with
  antiarrhythmic drug therapy alone.
• Prior studies of ablation in atrial fibrillation
  have been primarily non-randomized or single
  center, and success has been defined only in
  terms of symptom relief. The present study is the
  first multicenter, randomized trial to show a
  benefit of preventing atrial fibrillation
  recurrence with a single session of catheter
  ablation.

Presented at ACC Scientific Sessions 2005