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Pulsed Field Ablation vs Cryoablation In Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Pulsed Field Ablation vs Cryoablation In Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05940597
Acronym
FACIL AF
Enrollment
350
Registered
2023-07-11
Start date
2023-09-01
Completion date
2026-03-31
Last updated
2025-06-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Atrial Fibrillation Paroxysmal

Brief summary

Cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has emerged as an alternative to radiofrequency in the treatment of drug-resistant atrial fibrillation (AF). (1) Cryoablation offers potential advantages over radiofrequency, including shorter procedure times, decreased fluoroscopy time, shorter hospital length of stay, and different rates and types of complications. (2) The efficacy over a mean follow-up of one year with cryoablation for AF is comparable to that of radiofrequency ablation in a prospective randomized trial, with a lower major complication rate (3, 4). In recent years, AF cryoablation has established itself as a real alternative to RF ablation, to the point that this ablative source is chosen in one out of five European patients undergoing PV isolation. 70-80% of patients maintain sinus rhythm after a first procedure, showing an efficacy rate equivalent to ablation by RF. It is also comparable to RF when it comes to safety. Phrenic nerve palsy remains the major concern of cryoablation, accounting for 40% of periprocedural complications. A reduction in total procedure time and less dependence on the operator's experience make cryoablation an attractive choice for centres starting an AF ablation program. In conclusion, we do not yet have definitive data to affirm the superiority of one energy source over the other. Generally the choice depends on the availability of the centre and on the experience of the operator. Pulse field ablation (PFA): Vivek Y. Reddy demonstrates that in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, PFA rapidly and efficiently isolates PVs with a degree of tissue selectivity and a safety profile(1).PFA can achieve a high degree of durable PV isolation with a comparable efficiency than another techniques (RF or CRYO) at one year follow-up (2) Cryoablation has been a recognised technique for the ablation of atrial fibrillation for many years, with many studies comparing the technique to radiofrequency ablation with equal results. Studies are underway to compare radiofrequency AF ablation versus PFA (BEAT-AF study). A randomized study to compare two methods of cryoablation versus PFA will be necessary to validate the non-inferiority of the technique.

Interventions

ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by Pulse field ablation

ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by Cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation

Sponsors

University Hospital, Grenoble
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* The patient is of legal age to participate in the study (age \>18 years) * The patient is eligible for ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation * The patient or legal representative is able to understand and willing to provide written informed consent to participate in the trial * The patient is able and willing to return for required follow-up visits and examinations

Exclusion criteria

* Previous AF ablation * Persistent and permanent AF * The patient is contraindicated or allergic to oral anticoagulation * The patient or legal representative is enable to understand and willing to provide written informed consent to participate in the trial * The patient is enable and willing to return for required follow-up visits and examinations * Pregnant or nursing patient * Patient in exclusion period of another interventional study, * Patient under administrative or judicial supervision

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
proportion of subjects experiencing one-year single-procedure clinical success12 monthssuccessful index of AF ablation, absence of atrial arrhythmia recurrence on any type of recording (30 sec by TTM (event monitor), holters, 12-lead ECGs, rhythm strip or other diagnostic ECG documentation), absence of use of class I or III AAD.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Improvement in AF-specific quality of life6 and 12 monthsAFEQT questionnaire
Proportion of patients with death12 monthsDeath from any causes
Proportion of patients with first hospitalization for cardiovascular causes.12 monthsFirst hospitalization for cardiovascular causes
Proportion of patients with acute complication related to the procedureduring the procedure or one day aftertamponade, stroke, myocardial infarction, other
Health-related quality of life6 and 12 monthsSF-12 questionnaire.
Total time of fluoroscopyduring the procedureTotal time of fluoroscopy in minutes
Proportion of patients with embolic events from arrhythmia12 monthsStroke
Long term complications related to the procedure12 monthsphrenic palsy, pulmonary vein stenosis, pericarditis, other
Recurrence of atrial fibrillation12 monthsAbsence of atrial arrhythmia recurrence on any type of recording (30 sec by TTM (event monitor), holters, 12-lead ECGs, rhythm strip or other diagnostic ECG documentation), absence of use of class I or III AAD
Total procedure durationduring the procedureProcedure duration in minutes

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026