Safety and Efficacy of Second-Generation Cryoballoon Ablation in Patients Aged over 75 Years

Objective: The use of second-generation cryoballoon (CB2) for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation therapy is common. This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of CB2 ablation for PVI in AF patients aged 75 years and older to those under 75 years old. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted, including AF patients who underwent CB2 for PVI between January 2018 and December 2020 at our center. The patients were divided into two groups based on age: those aged 75 years and older (elderly group) and those under 75 years (control group). Procedural characteristics, complications, and one-year follow-up outcomes were compared between the two groups using Student's t-test or the chi-square test for univariate analysis. Results: A total of 156 AF patients treated with CB2 for PVI were included in the study, with 78 patients aged 75 years and older (elderly group, mean age = 78 years) and 78 patients aged under 75 years (control group, mean age = 66 years). The PVI procedure duration was 86.2 ± 25.8 minutes for the elderly group and 83.2 ± 20.8 minutes for the control group (p = 0.413). The elderly group showed a higher trend of complications (8/78, 10.3%) compared to the control group (2/78, 2.6%) (p = 0.049), although no serious complications were observed. One-year follow-up revealed that approximately 80% of patients in both groups did not experience AF recurrence (p = 0.656). Conclusion: CB2 ablation for PVI appears to be safe and effective in AF patients aged 75 years and older, with outcomes comparable to those in younger patients. However, special attention should be given to venous puncture in elderly patients.