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- Bagge, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Epicardial off-pump pulmonary vein isolation and vagal denervation improve long-term outcome and quality of life in patients with atrial fibrillation
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-5223 .- 1097-685X. ; 137:5, s. 1265-1271
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: The limited information available on thoracoscopic pulmonary vein isolation combined with ganglionated plexi ablation and the lack of studies regarding its effect on quality of life and physical capacity urged us to study its acute and long-term results in patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS: Forty-three patients (mean age 57.1 years) with symptomatic atrial fibrillation referred for thoracoscopic off-pump epicardial pulmonary vein isolation and ganglionated plexi ablation using radiofrequency energy were included. RESULTS: The physical capacity improved significantly at 6-month follow-up compared with baseline (mean +/- standard deviation, 165.2 +/- 65 Watt versus 155.9 +/- 57 Watt, P = .02). Quality of life (Short Form-36 health survey) significantly improved 12 months after surgery compared with baseline in all subscales except for bodily pain. The symptom severity questionnaire score decreased significantly from mean 15.2 +/- 4.0 points to 10.7 +/- 4.8 points (P = .02). Overall, 25 of 33 patients (76%) followed up for 12 months had no symptomatic atrial fibrillation recurrences or atrial fibrillation episodes on 24-hour Holter recordings. The corresponding figures were 79% (19/24) for patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 100% (2/2) for persistent atrial fibrillation, and 57% (4/7) for permanent atrial fibrillation. The most common complication was bleeding events (9%) during pulmonary vein dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Epicardial off-pump pulmonary vein isolation combined with ganglionated plexi ablation improved quality of life, symptoms, and exercise capacity and therefore may be considered for patients with atrial fibrillation who fail endocardial pulmonary vein ablation or as a first-line procedure if left atrial appendage exclusion is warranted.
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- Bagge, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of life is not improved aftermitral valve surgery combined with epicardial left atrial cryoablation as compared with mitral valve surgery alone : a substudy of the double blind randomized SWEDish Multicentre Atrial Fibrillation study (SWEDMAF)
- 2018
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Ingår i: Europace. - : Oxford University Press. - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 20, s. F343-F350
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Concomitant surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (MVS) has almost become routine despite lack of convincing information about improved quality-of-life (QOL) and clinical benefit. Quality-of-life was therefore assessed after MVS with or without epicardial left atrial cryoablation. Methods and results: Sixty-five patients with permanent AF randomized to MVS with or without left atrial cryoablation, in the doubleblinded multicentre SWEDMAF trial, replied to the Short Form 36 QOL survey at 6 and 12 months follow-up. The QOL scores at 12month follow-up did not differ significantly between patients undergoing MVS combined with cryoablation vs. those undergoing MVS alone regarding Physical Component Summary mean 42.8 (95% confidence interval 38.3-47.3) vs. mean 44.0 (40.1-47.7), P =0.700 or Mental Component Summary mean 53.1 (49.7-56.4) vs. mean 48.4 (44.6-52.2), P=0.075. All patients, irrespective of allocated procedure, reached the same QOL after surgery as an age-matched Swedish general population. The Physical Component Summary in patients with sinus rhythm did also not differ from those in AF at 12months; mean 45.4 (42.0-48.7) vs. mean 40.5 (35.5-45.6), P=0.096) nor was there a difference in Mental Component Summary; mean 51.0 (48.0-54.1) vs. mean 49.6 (44.6-54.5), P=0.581). Conclusion: Left atrial cryoablation added to MVS does not improve health-related QOL in patients with permanent AF, a finding that raises concerns regarding recommendations made for this combined procedure.
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- Blomström-Lundqvist, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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A randomized double-blind study of epicardial left atrial cryoablation for permanent atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery: the SWEDish Multicentre Atrial Fibrillation study (SWEDMAF).
- 2007
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Ingår i: European heart journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 28:23, s. 2902-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: The efficacy of epicardial left atrial (LA) cryoablation in eliminating atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (MVS) is unknown. We hypothesized that MVS combined with LA cryoablation is superior to MVS alone. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients with permanent AF, included at four centres, underwent MVS with or without epicardial LA cryoablation. The primary endpoint was regained sinus rhythm. Risk factors for failed AF cryoablation were elucidated. Sixty-five out of 69 patients reached the primary endpoint. At 6 and 12 months follow-up, 73.3% of patients who underwent cryoablation had regained sinus rhythm at both follow-ups, compared with 45.7 and 42.9% of patients, respectively, who underwent MVS alone (group differences, at 6 months P = 0.024, after 12 months P = 0.013). The in-hospital complication rate was 11.4% in the MVS group and 26.5% in the cryoablation group (P = 0.110). Risk factors for failed elimination of AF by cryoablation were duration of permanent AF (P = 0.012) and presence of coronary artery disease (P = 0.047), according to multiple logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: This first prospective randomized study showed that combining MVS with epicardial LA cryoablation is significantly better in eliminating pre-operative permanent AF than MVS alone.
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- Blomström-Lundqvist, Carina, et al.
(författare)
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Safety and efficacy of pharmacological cardioversion of atrial fibrillation using intravenous vernakalant, a new antiarrhythmic drug with atrial selectivity
- 2012
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Ingår i: Expert Opinion on Drug Safety. - : Informa Healthcare. - 1474-0338 .- 1744-764X. ; 11:4, s. 671-679
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction:Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia that due to its frequent hospitalizations and increased complication rates imposes a significant health economic burden. Many patients with recurrent AF are admitted to the hospital for cardioversion to restore sinus rhythm. Given this knowledge, it is clearly important to identify a feasible and effective approach for cardioversion of these patients. Cardioversion always requires careful assessment of potential complications, which apart from thromboembolic risks, include proarrhythmias and those related to the deep sedation required for electrical cardioversion. Even though electrical cardioversion is proven to be safe and effective, the need for anesthesia makes alternative strategies more attractive.Areas covered:The research discussed is the alternative strategies for cardioversion, including electrical cardioversion and the new relatively atrial-selective antiarrhythmic drug, vernakalant. The literature search methodology undertaken included search in PubMed (cardioversion, vernakalant, conversion as key words).Expert opinion:Vernakalant is shown to have good conversion rates, an apparently safe antiarrhythmic profile and is well tolerated in patients with a history of ischemic heart disease. In most cases of recent-onset AF, pharmacological cardioversion can provide a probably more cost-effective and safer alternative to electrical cardioversion, which can then be used as a second option for those who failed the first attempt of cardioversion.
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- Blomström, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Cost effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy in the Nordic region : an analysis based on the CARE-HF trial
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : Wiley. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 10:9, s. 869-877
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the cost-effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The analysis was based on the CARE-HF trial, a randomised clinical trial investigating the efficacy of adding CRT (n=409) to optimal pharmacological treatment (n=404) in patients with moderate to severe heart failure with markers of cardiac dyssynchrony. The average follow-up time was 29.4 months. METHODS: The health effects were measured in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. Data on health care resource consumption from CARE-HF was combined with costs for CRT implantation and hospitalisation from university hospitals in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Calculations were based on patients' expected life time. The expected device lifetime (6 years) was used for CRT, and no additional gains in clinical effects were assumed after the 6 years. RESULTS: The cost-effectiveness ratio per QALY gained was 4800 euros in Denmark, 3600 euros in Finland and 6700 euros in Sweden. The 95% confidence intervals for the cost per QALY gained varied between a lower limit of 1169 euros in Finland to an upper limit of 17,482 euros in Sweden. These values were all below the threshold for being cost-effective in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that CRT is a cost-effective treatment in Scandinavian health care settings compared to traditional pharmacological therapy and can therefore be recommended for routine use in patients with moderate to severe heart failure and markers of dyssynchrony.
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