Discussion:
Cryoablation as a primary treatment for patients with drug naïve atrial fibrillation significantly decreased risk of recurrence of symptoms by 40% compared with AAD. Furthermore, cryoablation significantly decreased the risk of severe adverse events by 34% compared to an antiarrhythmic drug based treatment, as well as significantly decreased the risk of patients developing a minimum of 1 serious adverse events by 48%.
There is no significant impact of type of treatment in relation to severe adverse events – as evidenced by CI 0.64, 3.09 including line of no effect
Trials authors concluded that cryoablation was deemed superior to AAD, significantly reducing rate of recurrences without increasing the rate of severe adverse event. They both agreed that CA could be a favorable first line approach to treat atrial fibrillation. The results of our study strengthen the conclusion reached by both studies and clearly demonstrates that cryoablation could be a strong candidate for Anti arrhythmic drug replacement as first line treatment for atrial fibrillation.
One major limitation of this study is the limited number of studies included. This is a relatively new area of research and there is limited literature available. Nonetheless, our study shows a promising future for cryoablation as a therapy for such people newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation that being said, our study highlights the need for further research in the area to contribute to a more conclusive argument. We urge the research community to do more clinical trials and ultimately to maximize the quality of care provided to patients with atrial fibrillation.
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