Findings of an investigation into whether ablation of non-pulmonary vein atrial fibrillation (AF) drivers identified by machine learning in addition to pulmonary vein isolation improves procedural outcomes have been presented at the AF Symposium 2024 (1–3 February, Boston, USA).
The study demonstrates how non-pulmonary vein AF driver ablation guided by vMap (Vektor Medical) could improve ablation outcomes for patients with persistent AF, recurrent AF after prior ablation, or AF associated with atrial flutter or focal AT.
Data from the study showed that all patients in the study group (n=27) and controls (n=54) underwent standard-of-care pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Following PVI, the study group (n=27) had ablation of 1.6 ± 0.7 additional AF driver sites identified by vMap’s artificial intelligence-based analysis.
During ablation, 15 patients in the study group had driver site ablation during ongoing AF or focal AT resulting in atrial termination in 80% of such cases. A total of 86.5% of patients in the vMap study group were free from AF and AT on or off antiarrhythmic medications at 1-year follow-up, compared to 48.0% of the control group.
