Pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation ablation: a European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

Aims Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has rapidly emerged as a non-thermal ablation technology for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), with an unprecedented adoption across Europe. The aim of this survey was to characterize current practice patterns.Methods And Results The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Scientific Initiatives Committee designed a 30-item questionnaire addressing temporal adoption of PFA, pre-, intra-, and post-procedural workflows, and future perspectives. The survey was distributed between April and June 2025. A total of 216 responses were obtained from 43 countries. At the time of the survey, 23% of respondents had not yet initiated a PFA programme. Overall, PFA is now used in half (49%) of first atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures. Adoption was significantly higher in high-volume centres and 'Western European' countries. The primary driver for adoption was time efficiency (60%). Intra-procedural workflows showed marked heterogeneity: approximately half of the operators relied exclusively on fluoroscopy without any intra-procedural imaging/mapping. Additional ablation lesions beyond PVI were common, with one-third employing standardized PVI+ protocols in persistent AF, most frequently posterior wall isolation. General anaesthesia and deep sedation were used in equal proportions.Conclusion This EHRA survey demonstrates both rapid implementation and significant heterogeneity in PFA use across Europe. Standardized protocols and prospective studies are needed to define best practices.

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Publication Details

Journal
Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.48620/93450
Primary Topic
Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
Type
article
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article

Pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation ablation: a European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

Martin Huth Ruwald, Piotr Futyma, Maura M. Zylla, Laura Perrotta et al.
Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
article

Pulsed field ablation for atrial fibrillation ablation: a European Heart Rhythm Association survey.

Martin Huth Ruwald, Piotr Futyma, Maura M. Zylla, Laura Perrotta, Bergonti Marco, G Conte, Arian Sultan, Mark T Mills, Laurent Roten, Christian-Hendrick Heeger, Julian K R Chun, Konstantinos Vlachos, Michal Mazurek, Andreas Metzner
article en

Abstract

Aims Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has rapidly emerged as a non-thermal ablation technology for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), with an unprecedented adoption across Europe. The aim of this survey was to characterize current practice patterns.Methods And Results The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) Scientific Initiatives Committee designed a 30-item questionnaire addressing temporal adoption of PFA, pre-, intra-, and post-procedural workflows, and future perspectives. The survey was distributed between April and June 2025. A total of 216 responses were obtained from 43 countries. At the time of the survey, 23% of respondents had not yet initiated a PFA programme. Overall, PFA is now used in half (49%) of first atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures. Adoption was significantly higher in high-volume centres and 'Western European' countries. The primary driver for adoption was time efficiency (60%). Intra-procedural workflows showed marked heterogeneity: approximately half of the operators relied exclusively on fluoroscopy without any intra-procedural imaging/mapping. Additional ablation lesions beyond PVI were common, with one-third employing standardized PVI+ protocols in persistent AF, most frequently posterior wall isolation. General anaesthesia and deep sedation were used in equal proportions.Conclusion This EHRA survey demonstrates both rapid implementation and significant heterogeneity in PFA use across Europe. Standardized protocols and prospective studies are needed to define best practices.

Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
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Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes
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