2.1 Study population
This study enrolled a total of 102 consecutive patients (male/female = 60/42) with paroxysmal AF (PAF; n = 31) or persistent AF (PsAF; n = 71), who was referred to our clinic at Shanghai General Hospital for radiofrequency catheter ablation from January to June 2018. The PsAF and PAF were defined according to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines.3 Our patients’ exclusion criteria were as follows: had previously undergone left atrial ablation procedures, had previous cardiac or mediastinal surgery, and those who were unable to receive enhanced CT examination.
The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethics Review Board. Each patient was provided written informed consent before the procedure.