A single center experience and preliminary results on pulsed field ablation: early report from the MENA region

Background Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal method for Atrial Fibrillation (AF) ablation that induces irreversible electroporation of cardiac myocyte without the thermally induced complications. Data regarding PFA’s application and safety are scarce in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study for all patients who underwent PFA ablation for AF at a tertiary center in Jordan. Patients’ characteristics, comorbidities, medications and laboratory measures were retrieved. Recurrence within 6 months after the blanking period was considered the primary endpoint and complications’ rates (i.e., access site complications, bleeding requiring transfusion, cardiac tamponade, and phrenic nerve injury) were the secondary endpoint. Data was cleaned and analyzed using SPSS (version 23). Results The study included 52 patients, characterized by a mean age of 58.8 ± 16.8 years, and 1.08:1 male-to-female ratio. The cohort’s left atrial diameter and volume were 3.8 ± 0.6 cm, and 106.6 ± 33.0 ml, respectively. Hypertension was the most reported comorbidity (55.8%). Beta blockers and oral anticoagulants were the most utilized medications (86.5% and 86.5%, respectively). Across a follow up period of 6 months, 4 patients (7.7%) had experienced AF recurrence with no reported complications. Conclusion The attenuated rate of early AF recurrence in our cohort can be considered as a safety signal with possible promising outcomes. However, this is a preliminary reports and these findings should be investigated across a larger sample size and a longer temporal frame for confirmation. Nonetheless, these findings are considered among the earliest reports of PFA efficacy and safety in the MENA region. Clinical Trail Number: not applicable.