Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Pulmonary Vein Isolation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation Using Point-by-Point Bipolar Pulsed Field Ablation Combined With Thermal Ablation of the Superior Paraseptal Parasympathetic Ganglion Region
Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a novel, non-thermal method for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). It uses short, high-voltage electrical pulses to selectively ablate cardiomyocytes. PFA has demonstrated a high safety profile with reduced complication rates compared to thermal ablation. Thermal ablation of parasympathetic ganglia during conventional pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) may improve long-term procedural outcomes by reducing AF recurrence. However, due to its non-thermal nature, PFA may not significantly affect cardiac autonomic innervation, which could be clinically relevant in vagally mediated AF or tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome. This randomized study compares two strategies: (1) PFA-only PVI, and (2) PFA combined with selective thermal ablation (radiofrequency energy) of the superior paraseptal parasympathetic ganglion. The primary objective is to evaluate whether adjunctive thermal ablation improves clinical outcomes and reduces intraprocedural bradyarrhythmic events.
• Age ≥18 years
• Documented paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) lasting ≥30 seconds on ECG or Holter monitoring
• Willingness and ability to provide written informed consent
• Life expectancy \>1 year