Left Atrial Appendage Volume Predicts Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence after Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background The influence of left atrial appendage volume (LAAV) on the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) following radiofrequency catheter ablation remains unclear. Objectives We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether LAAV is an independent predictor of AF recurrence following radiofrequency catheter ablation. Methods The PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases were searched until March 2022 to identify publications evaluating LAAV in association with AF recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation. Seven studies that fulfilled the specified criteria of our analysis were found. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to evaluate the quality of the studies. The pooled effects were evaluated depending on standardized mean differences (SMDs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results A total of 1017 patients from 7 cohort studies with a mean follow-up 16.3 months were included in the meta-analysis. Data from 6 studies (943 subjects) comparing LAAV showed that the baseline LAAV was significantly higher in patients with AF recurrence compared to those without AF (SMD: −0.63; 95% CI: −0.89 to −0,37; all p values < 0.05; I2= 62.6%). Moreover, higher LAAV was independently associated with a significantly higher risk of AF recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.18). Conclusions The meta-analysis showed that there is a significant correlation between LAAV and AF recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation, and the role of LAAV in AF patients should not be ignored in clinical practice.