Discussion:
Cryoablation as a primary treatment for patients with drug naïve atrial
fibrillation significantly decreased risk of recurrence of symptoms by
40% compared with AAD. Furthermore, cryoablation significantly
decreased the risk of severe adverse events by 34% compared to an
antiarrhythmic drug based treatment, as well as significantly decreased
the risk of patients developing a minimum of 1 serious adverse events by
48%.
There is no significant impact of type of treatment in relation to
severe adverse events – as evidenced by CI 0.64, 3.09 including line of
no effect
Trials authors concluded that cryoablation was deemed superior to AAD,
significantly reducing rate of recurrences without increasing the rate
of severe adverse event. They both agreed that CA could be a favorable
first line approach to treat atrial fibrillation. The results of our
study strengthen the conclusion reached by both studies and clearly
demonstrates that cryoablation could be a strong candidate for Anti
arrhythmic drug replacement as first line treatment for atrial
fibrillation.
One major limitation of this study is the limited number of studies
included. This is a relatively new area of research and there is limited
literature available. Nonetheless, our study shows a promising future
for cryoablation as a therapy for such people newly diagnosed with
atrial fibrillation that being said, our study highlights the need for
further research in the area to contribute to a more conclusive
argument. We urge the research community to do more clinical trials and
ultimately to maximize the quality of care provided to patients with
atrial fibrillation.
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