PVI-SHAM-AF | ESC 2026
PVI-SHAM-AF | ESC 2026
* 262 symptomatic AF patients: catheter ablation vs a simulated ablation procedure (same sedation and catheter-lab setting, but without performing the ablation).
* At 6 months, QoL improved in both groups, with no significant advantage of ablation → primary endpoint negative.
* However, ablation clearly reduced AF recurrence (27% vs 48%) and AF burden (11.6% vs 23.6%).
* Key message: Ablation reduced AF, but this did not translate into significantly greater QoL improvement than sham at 6 months.
* Not a reason to abandon AF ablation; rather, it challenges how much of its symptomatic benefit is specifically attributable to the procedure.
Source: PVI-SHAM-AF | ESC Congress 2026, Munich — 30 Aug 2026.
https://esc365.escardio.org/
