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Aims Obesity decreases arrhythmia-free survival after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation by mechanisms that are not fully understood. We investigated the impact of pre-ablation bariatric surgery (BS) on AF recurrence after ablation. Methods and results In this retrospective observational cohort study, 239 consecutive morbidly obese patients (body mass index ≥40 kg/m2 or ≥35 kg/m2 with obesity-related complications) were followed for a mean of 22 months prior to ablation. Of these patients, 51 had BS prior to ablation, and our primary outcome was whether BS was associated with a lower rate of AF recurrence during follow-up. Adjustment for confounding was performed with multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and propensity-score based analyses. During a mean follow-up of 36 months after ablation, 10/51 patients (20%) in the BS group had recurrent AF compared with 114/188 (61%) in the non-BS group (P < 0.0001). In the BS group, 6 patients (12%) underwent repeat ablation compared with 77 patients (41%) in the non-BS group, (P < 0.0001). On multivariable analysis, the association between BS and lower AF recurrence remained significant. Similarly, after weighting and adjusting for the inverse probability of the propensity score, BS was still associated with a lower hazard of AF recurrence (hazard ratio 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.05–0.39; P = 0.002). Conclusion Bariatric surgery is associated with a lower AF recurrence after ablation. Morbidly obese patients should be considered for BS prior to AF ablation, though prospective multicentre studies should be performed to confirm our novel finding.

Background The aim of our study was to investigate outcomes of patients with ATTR (amyloidosis and transthyretin) CA (cardiac amyloidosis) and implantable devices with respect to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), mitral regurgitation (MR), New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, and mortality. Methods This was a retrospective observational cohort study of 78 patients with ATTR CA and implantable devices. During a mean follow‐up of 42 months we investigated the impact of right ventricular (RV) pacing burden and biventricular (BiV) pacing on LVEF, MR severity, NYHA functional class, and mortality. Results Worsening MR occurred in 11% of patients with a RV pacing % <40% compared to 62% of those with a RV pacing burden >40% (P = .002). Similarly, worsening LVEF occurred in 26% of patients who were RV paced <40% and 89% of those who were RV paced >40% of the time (P < .0001) and worsening in NYHA functional class occurred in 22% and 89%, respectively (P < .0001). Improvement in LVEF, NYHA functional class, and MR severity occurred in 78%, 67%, and 67%, respectively, in those with BiV devices. Death occurred in 67% of patients in the cardiac resynchronization therapy group compared to 68% of those with a RV pacing burden <40% and 92% of those with a RV pacing burden >40%. Conclusion A higher RV pacing burden is associated with deleterious remodeling and congestive heart failure in patients with ATTR CA, whereas BiV pacing is associated with improvements in LVEF, NYHA class, and degree of MR. BiV pacing should be considered in patients with ATTR CA and an indication for pacing. However, further larger prospective studies will need to be performed.

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