Costs and long-term outcomes following pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation in elderly patients using second-generation cryoballoon vs. open-irrigated radiofrequency in China

Purpose Limited comparative data are available regarding catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) using second-generation cryoballoon (CB-2) vs. radiofrequency (RF) ablation in elderly patients (> 75 years old). The present study aimed to compare the costs and clinical outcomes in elderly patients using these two strategies. Methods Elderly patients with symptomatic drug-refractory paroxysmal/short-lasting persistent AF were included in the study. Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was performed in all patients. Results A total of 324 elderly patients were included (RF,176; CB-2,148) from September 2016 to April 2019. The CB-2 was associated with shorter procedure time and left atrial dwell time (112.9 ± 11.1 vs. 135.1 ± 9.9 min, P