AV Junction Ablation in Heart Failure Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Treated With Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

The Picture Is Now Clear!

Soft Endpoints

Soft endpoint improvements have been extensively documented after CRT, both short-term and long-term in AF patients. It is important to stress that these benefits seem more relevant in AF patients treated with AVJ ablation or spontaneous low-rate AF. The largest experience on this topic was presented by our group (2) in 2006: this prospective study specifically assessed the effects of AVJ ablation in AF patients treated with CRT. Using a predefined protocol, we showed that significant improvements in NYHA functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LV end-systolic volume, and exercise capacity were confined to those patients treated with AVJ ablation.

In the meta-analysis by Ganesan et al. (3), NYHA functional class improvement was more evident in AVJ ablation patients, whereas no definitive conclusions were drawn on the 6-min walk test, probably due to insufficient data. In this meta-analysis, only 3 studies reported LVEF modification after AVJ ablation: the increase of EF in the AVJ ablation group was not statistically superior compared with the group without AVJ ablation, even if the degree of EF improvement in ablated patients seems to be remarkable (10.3% vs. 4.2%).

A hypothetical explanation for the lack of significance may be correlated to the limited follow-up. In 2 of the 3 studies evaluating EF (6 and 9 months for Molhoek et al. [5] and Dong et al. [6], respectively, 25 months in our experience [7]), this is even more important if we consider that, in the majority of cases, AVJ ablation is performed 2 to 3 months after CRT. It is reasonable to expect that longer follow-up might have permitted the detection of a progressive EF increase after CRT, particularly evident after AVJ ablation.

Hard Endpoints

The most important finding by the meta-analysis of Ganesan et al. (3) focuses on the dramatic reduction of total and cardiovascular mortality conferred by AVJ ablation. It is surprising to note that in many different studies, the mortality rate in nonablated AF patients was always approximately 14% per year, whereas in AVJ-ablated patients, a 3-fold reduction of mortality was observed (8). In this context, the work by Ganesan et al. (3) would seem to provide a definitive conclusion on the survival benefit conferred by AV node ablation, showing a significant reduction of both total (risk ratio: 0.42) and cardiovascular (risk ratio: 0.44) mortality.

A questionable point of this paper, however, regards the lack of correlation between mortality and EF. Because there was no significant difference observed in CRT defibrillator or pacing device utilization between patients with or without AVJ ablation, cardiac mortality reduction seems to be driven mainly by a significant reduction of HF death, which in turn usually correlates strictly to EF increase and reverse remodeling.

In the discussion, Ganesan et al. (3) seem to be surprised by the lack of significant LVEF improvement in the AVJ ablation group with respect to the nonablation group, despite the dramatic mortality reduction. A possible explanation, in our opinion, may be that a hazard ratio of 0.42 for total mortality implies a much better survival in ablated patients: this determines that the echocardiographic data at follow-up of nonablated patients are related only to the 40% “survivors” of this group, clearly with a much better LV function and prognosis. The very short follow-up after AVJ ablation in the Molhoek and Dong experiences and the “natural selection bias” associated with the limited number of “nonablated survivors” might well explain the nonsignificant superior increase of EF in ablated patients.

Adjunctive Potential Favorable Effects of AVJ Ablation in AF and CRT

AVJ ablation is the most powerful predictor of SR resumption in permanent AF patients treated with CRT (9). The conversion from AF to SR even after many years seems to be related to the higher BVP observed in ablated patients and consequent reverse remodeling. Last, but not least, we should always remember the possibility of inappropriate shocks during fast AF and their negative impact on quality of life; this problem is completely abolished by AVJ ablation.

Potential Negative Aspects of AVJ Ablation in CRT

AVJ ablation is usually an easy and safe procedure; nonetheless, it is often perceived as a potentially harmful therapy that should be avoided as much as possible because it causes pacemaker dependency. However, as correctly reported by Ganesan et al. (3), no studies on conventional ablate and pace therapy have reported significant complications during the follow-up. Furthermore, the aforementioned benefits of AVJ ablation in this HF population seem to well outweigh possible risks associated with pacemaker dependency.

The presence of 2 ventricular leads should theoretically protect from problems related to increased lead threshold or dislocation; in any case, it could be appropriate to perform AVJ ablation after lead stabilization (at least 2 months).