UNLABELLED: The management of non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial. We examined the efficacy and safety of the 2 stage Hybrid AF ablation approach by analysing the largest series of this technique reported so far. METHODS: The approach aims to electrically isolate the left atrial posterior wall incorporating the pulmonary veins ('box-set'pattern). An initial video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) epicardial ablation is followed after a minimum of 8 weeks by endocardial radiofrequency catheter ablation. RESULTS: Of 175 patients from 4 European cardiothoracic centers, who underwent the surgical (COBRA Fusion, AtriCure Inc) 1st stage ablation, 166 went on to complete 2nd stage catheter ablation. At median follow up of 18 months post 2nd stage procedure 93/166 (56%) had remained free of AF or atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence off antiarrhythmic drugs. 110/175 62.9% were in sinus rhythm off all antiarrhythmic drugs at last clinic follow-up (132/175 75.4% including those on antiarrhythmic drugs). 18 patients (10.8%) underwent a further re-do ablation (mean of 1.1 ablations per patient) 105/166 (63%) remained free of AF/AT recurrence off antiarrhythmic drugs following last ablation procedure.Latterly, ILRs have been implanted in patients (n = 56); 60% have remained fully arrhythmia free and 80% have shown AF burden < 5% at a median 14 months follow-up [IQR: 13.5 (8-21.5)]. Only 10.9% have reverted to persistent AF. 5 patients (2.9%) had a perioperative stroke and 4 patients (2.3%) exhibited persistent weakness of the right hemidiaphragm following stage 1 VATS epicardial ablation. One patient died following stroke (overall mortality 0.6%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with non-paroxysmal AF with unfavourable characteristics for catheter ablation, the staged hybrid approach results in acceptable levels of freedom from recurrent atrial arrhythmia, however, complication rates are higher than with catheter ablation alone.

• Klíčová slova
• Catheter ablation, Hybrid ablation, Left atrial posterior wall isolation, Longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation, Persistent atrial fibrillation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

• Klíčová slova
• Ablation, Anticoagulation, Arrhythmia, Atrial fibrillation, Atrial flutter, Atrial tachycardia, Catheter ablation, Stroke, Surgical ablation,
• MeSH
• fibrilace síní diagnóza   patofyziologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• katetrizační ablace škodlivé účinky   normy   MeSH
• konsensus MeSH
• kryochirurgie škodlivé účinky   normy   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• srdeční katetrizace škodlivé účinky   normy   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• směrnice pro lékařskou praxi MeSH

PURPOSE: Hybrid ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is a promising treatment strategy for patients with non-paroxysmal AF, although, data regarding mid-term outcomes are limited. METHODS: Patients with persistent or long-standing persistent AF were enrolled. Initially, a thoracoscopic, right-sided, epicardial ablation was performed, with a goal of creating a box lesion on the posterior wall of the left atrium; a novel versapolar radiofrequency (RF) catheter was used. In patients enrolled later, occlusion of the left atrial appendage was also performed. An endocardial procedure was performed 2-4 months later, with the goal of confirming/completing the box lesion and ablating the ganglionated plexi and cavotricuspid isthmus. Efficacy was assessed using multiple 24-h and 1-week Holter monitoring. Analysis was performed to search for variables associated with procedure's failure. RESULTS: Forty-one patients (14 persistent and 27 long-standing persistent AF) were enrolled with a mean AF duration of 33.5 ± 33.1 months. Mean follow-up was 507.2 ± 201.1 days (180-731). At the last follow-up visit, 27(65%) patients were arrhythmia-free, without anti-arrhythmics or need for re-ablation. Additional 4 patients (9.8%) were in sinus rhythm (SR) following re-ablation of postprocedural peri-mitral flutter and 4 (9.8%) were in SR on anti-arrhythmics. Longer periods of preoperative AF were independently associated with worse arrhythmia-free survival (p = 0.015). Serious postoperative complications occurred in 3 (7.3%) patients; only 1 (2.4%) patient had clinical consequences after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid ablation of non-paroxysmal AF using a novel, versapolar RF device yields promising mid-term results. Better arrhythmia-free survival rates were found in AF patients with shorter AF duration.

• Klíčová slova
• Atrial fibrillation, Hybrid ablation, Long-standing persistent, Persistent, Versapolar device,
• MeSH
• bezpečnost vybavení MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• chronická nemoc MeSH
• design vybavení MeSH
• elektrokardiografie ambulantní metody   MeSH
• elektrokardiografie metody   MeSH
• fibrilace síní diagnostické zobrazování   chirurgie   MeSH
• hodnocení rizik MeSH
• katetrizační ablace přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• kohortové studie MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• monitorování fyziologických funkcí přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• následné studie MeSH
• recidiva MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• stupeň závažnosti nemoci MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

• Klíčová slova
• Ablation, Anticoagulation, Arrhythmia, Atrial fibrillation, Atrial flutter, Atrial tachycardia, Catheter ablation, Stroke, Surgical ablation,
• MeSH
• ablace normy   MeSH
• fibrilace síní chirurgie   MeSH
• kardiologie * MeSH
• katetrizační ablace normy   MeSH
• konsensuální konference jako téma * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• převodní systém srdeční chirurgie   MeSH
• společnosti lékařské * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• zprávy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with structural heart disease who are undergoing cardiac surgery. Surgical CryoMaze has been shown to be an effective treatment in several trials, but success rates have varied considerably, between 47-95 %. The sequential hybrid approach, combining surgical CryoMaze followed by radiofrequency catheter ablation, can achieve high freedom from atrial arrhythmias, even when rigorous methods to detect arrhythmias after the procedure are used. However, data from randomized trials comparing hybrid ablations to surgical ablations alone are lacking. METHODS/DESIGN: The SurHyb study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized study. Patients with persistent or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation will be randomized to either surgical CryoMaze alone or surgical CryoMaze followed by catheter ablation 3 months post-surgery. The primary outcome measure is arrhythmia-free survival without class I or III antiarrhythmic drugs, which will be evaluated using 7-day ECG Holter monitoring at 24 months. A total of 260 patients will be investigated from three medical centers in the Czech Republic to obtain the relevant information. DISCUSSION: This is the first randomized study that compares surgical CryoMaze alone with the staged hybrid surgical CryoMaze followed by catheter ablation in patients with persistent or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. These results will contribute to the optimization of the treatment for these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Czech Clinical Trials Registry, cz-301020151253 . Registered on 30 October 2015.

• Klíčová slova
• Atrial fibrillation, Catheter ablation, CryoMaze, Hybrid approach, Randomized controlled clinical trial, Surgical ablation,
• MeSH
• antiarytmika terapeutické užití   MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• elektrokardiografie ambulantní MeSH
• fibrilace síní diagnóza   patofyziologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• katetrizační ablace * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• klinické protokoly MeSH
• kryochirurgie * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• přežití bez známek nemoci MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• recidiva MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• výzkumný projekt MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antiarytmika MeSH

BACKGROUND: Catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation yields an unsatisfactorily high number of failures. The hybrid approach has recently emerged as a technique that overcomes the limitations of both surgical and catheter procedures alone. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated the sequential (staged) hybrid method, which consists of a surgical thoracoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure followed by radiofrequency catheter ablation 6 to 8 weeks later using the CARTO 3 mapping system. Fifty consecutive patients (mean age 62±7 years, 32 males) with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (41±34 months) and a dilated left atrium (>45 mm) were included and prospectively followed in an unblinded registry. During the electrophysiological part of the study, all 4 pulmonary veins were found to be isolated in 36 (72%) patients and a complete box-lesion was confirmed in 14 (28%) patients. All gaps were successfully re-ablated. Twelve months after the completed hybrid ablation, 47 patients (94%) were in normal sinus rhythm (4 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation required propafenone and 1 patient underwent a redo catheter procedure). The majority of arrhythmias recurred during the first 3 months. Beyond 12 months, there were no arrhythmia recurrences detected. The surgical part of the procedure was complicated by 7 (13.7%) major complications, while no serious adverse events were recorded during the radiofrequency catheter part of the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The staged hybrid epicardial-endocardial treatment of long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation seems to be extremely effective in maintenance of normal sinus rhythm compared to radiofrequency catheter or surgical ablation alone. Epicardial ablation alone cannot guarantee durable transmural lesions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: www.ablace.cz Unique identifier: cz-060520121617.

• Klíčová slova
• hybrid approach, persistent atrial fibrillation, radiofrequency ablation, sequential, surgical treatment,
• MeSH
• antiarytmika terapeutické užití   MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• elektrofyziologické techniky kardiologické MeSH
• endokard patofyziologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• fibrilace síní diagnóza   patofyziologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• Kaplanův-Meierův odhad MeSH
• katetrizační ablace škodlivé účinky   metody   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• perikard patofyziologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• přežití bez známek nemoci MeSH
• prospektivní studie MeSH
• recidiva MeSH
• registrace MeSH
• reoperace MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• venae pulmonales patofyziologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antiarytmika MeSH