119 P wave duration and spectral analysis of signal averaged P wave: can this guide us in deciding the extent of af ablation required beyond pulmonary vein isolation? - A prospective study

Background& Purpose: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is an established treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) however recurrence can occur despite pulmonary vein (PV) isolation because of abnormal left atrial (LA) substrate which requires additional ablation. The P wave triggered signal averaged ECG (SAECG) has been shown to demonstrate longer P wave duration and higher P wave energies in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) compared to controls. We postulated that this technique might be used to identify patients with significant atrial substrate change who may require additional ablation beyond PVI to avoid recurrence.
Source: Europace - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research