cryoballoon ablation results and complications in mid-term follow-up of patients with atrial fibrillation

Background:atrial fibrillation (af) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and its prevalence increases with advancing age. pulmonary vein isolation is a standard approach in drug refractory paroxysmal af which could be performed by cryoballoon ablation (cba). we tried to evaluate its efficacy and safety in iranian patients with af.methods:from 2015 to 2017, 97 patients with paroxysmal and persistent af were enrolled in our observational historical cohort study. they were visited 1 and 6 months post-procedure in order to assess the efficacy (recurrence) and safety. recurrence was defined as 30 seconds of arrhythmia on their 48-hours holter monitoring.results:ninety-seven patients enrolled in the study, 64 (66.0%) of them were men, and their mean age was 55± 12years. hypertension was reported in 41 patients (42.3%), as the most common cardiac risk factor. 71 patients (73.2%) patients with paroxysmal af and 15 patients (15.5%) with persistent af underwent the procedure. after 6 months, recurrence was documented in only 17 patients (17.5%), and 82.5% of the patients were free from the recurrence. post-procedural complication was detected only in 3 patients (3.1%).conclusion:in our study, the mid-term success and safety of cba in patients with paroxysmal af was showed. cba is a safe and effective method in paroxysmal af, and even in some cases withpersistent af.