Statistical Analysis:
Categorical variables were reported as frequency and percentage, whereas
continuous variables were reported as mean ± standard deviation.
Statistical significance for categorical variables was tested using the
chi-square method, while for continuous variables, the Student’s t-test
method was employed. A multivariable Cox proportional regression
analysis was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence
intervals (CI) for the association between the presence of a LCPV and
recurrence of AA. The models were adjusted as follows: model 1 was
adjusted for age and sex; model 2 was adjusted for model 1 along with
coronary artery disease (CAD), congestive heart failure (CHF), diabetes
mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension,
hyperlipidemia, and VHD; model 3 was further adjusted for model 2 along
with the use of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and
anti-arrhythmic drugs; and finally model 4 was adjusted for model 3
along with CHADS2VASC2 score, total
cryoablation time, total fluoroscopy time, baseline heart rate, LA
volume index and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). A univariate
analysis was performed for all the anatomic indices (EI, OI and AV) for
each of the PVs to evaluate if they predicted recurrence of AA. A
step-wise approach was utilized, and anatomic indices with a p-value
<0.1 on univariate analysis were subsequently included in a
multivariate model. Survival curves were constructed using the
Kaplan-Meir method and compared using the log-rank test. All statistical
analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary,
NC), and p-values < 0.05 were considered significant.