One-year outcomes of Pulmonary Vein Isolation with a novel cryoballoon:
Primary results of the FROZEN AF Trial
Abstract
Introduction: Cryoablation therapy for pulmonary vein isolation
(PVI) to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is well established.
A novel 28 mm cryoballoon system designed to operate under low pressure
to safely reach a lower nadir temperature and maintain constant balloon
size during cooling has not been prospectively studied in a large
patient population for safety and efficacy. The FROZEN AF (NCT04133168)
trial was an international multi-center, open-label, prospective,
single-arm study on the safety and performance of a novel cryoballoon
system for treatment of PAF. Methods and Results: The study
enrolled patients at 44 sites in 10 countries across North America,
Europe, and Asia. Subjects were indicated for PVI treatment of PAF and
had failed or were intolerant of 1 or more antiarrhythmic drugs.
Procedural outcomes were defined based on the 2017 HRS consensus
statement. Follow-up was performed at 7 days, 3, 6, and 12 months. Data
are reported as mean±SD or Median (IQR). PVI was performed with a 28mm
cryoballoon in 325 drug refractory PAF patients. Complete PVI was
achieved in 95.7% of patients. In cryoablation lesions longer than 60s,
60.1% of PV isolations required only a single cryoballoon application.
Procedure related complications included: phrenic nerve palsy
[transient 4 (1.2%), persistent 0 (0.0%)], cardiac
tamponade/perforation 2 (0.6%), and air embolism 1 (0.3%). Freedom
from documented atrial arrhythmia recurrence at 12 months was 79.9% (AF
82.7%, AFL 96.5%, AT 98.1%), Antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) were
continued or re-initiated in 26.8% of patients after the 3-month
blanking period. Additionally, an extension arm enrolled 50 pts for
treatment with 28/31mm variable size cryoballoon. A single temporary PNP
occurred in this group, which resolved prior to discharge. Freedom from
documented recurrence at 12 months in these pts was 82.0%.
Conclusions: This novel cryoballoon may facilitate PVI to treat
PAF, providing more options to address the variety of anatomy present in
patients with PAF. This cryoballoon system was safe and effective for
treatment of patients with drug refractory or drug intolerant PAF.