Follow-up:
Regular follow up visits including clinical evaluation, ECG as well as 24-hour-holter ECG and transthoracic echocardiography were scheduled for all 71 patients. Patient follow up was regularly scheduled at 3 months post ablation, and then at 6 months intervals. Intermediate follow up visits were scheduled in patients who developed recurrent AF episodes after initially successful PVI.
In all 71 patients recurrent onset of AF was documented after a mean 316 ± 258 days. The mean time to AF recurrence was 305 ± 238 days in patients with paroxysmal AF (n=31) and 325 ± 276 days in patients with persistent AF (n=40), p= ns.
During follow up visits, additive medication such as ACE-inhibitors, or aldosterone receptor blockers with reverse remodeling potential for the LA was registered.20, 21 Only three patients during follow up were prescribed one of the previously mentioned drugs after index PVI.