Balloon catheters are a viable option to safely perform a PVI procedure in patients with drug-refractory PAF. Ninety-nine percent of PVs may be acutely isolated with a single balloon catheter. The AF free survival rate after a single ablation procedure was not statistically different between groups.

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Sequential PVI based solely on endoscopic visual information with a single device and a single transseptal puncture is feasible. Optimal PV occlusion and few controlled repositionings facilitate PVI.

With EAS even first time users may achieve acute PVI in a high number of patients with favorable clinical outcomes after 1 year. Yet, acute procedural efficacy and safety are further improved after passing a learning curve of 50 patients.