UNCOVER-AF: Noncontact Mapping of Charge Density Could Guide Ablation

Researchers for the Utilizing Novel Dipole Density Capabilities to Objectively Visualize the Etiology of Rhythms in Atrial Fibrillation (UNCOVER-AF) study, a prospective, nonrandomized, 13-center trial, included 129 patients scheduled for de-novo catheter ablation. Patients underwent atrial fibrillation (AFib) mapping prior to pulmonary vein isolation and were re-mapped after ablation charge in density-identified targets. AFib recurrence was then assessed at three, six, nine, and 12 months, with a primary outcome of freedom from AFib >30 seconds at 12 months after the procedure. The researchers reported that 127 patients underwent mapping and ablation, with an acute procedural efficacy demonstrated in 125 patients. Single procedure freedom from AFib was 72.5% and was 93.2% after one or two additional procedures. The authors concluded that “this novel ultrasound imaging and charge density mapping system safely guided ablation of nonpulmonary vein targets in persistent AF patients with 73% single procedure and 93% second procedure freedom from AF at 12 months.”

Willems S, et al. Circ Arrhythm Electrophyiol. 2019;doi:10.1161/CIRCEP.119.007233