Which heart ablation works best? major trial pits cold vs heat

NCT ID NCT01490814

First seen Apr 25, 2026 · Last updated Apr 25, 2026

Summary

This study compared two ways to treat a common heart rhythm problem called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). 769 adults who had symptoms and didn't get better with medication were randomly assigned to have either a cryoballoon (freezing) or radiofrequency (heating) catheter procedure to isolate the pulmonary veins. The goal was to see which method was safer and better at preventing the return of abnormal heart rhythms.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Arrhythmia Unit Hospital Clinico San Carlos

    Madrid, 28040, Spain

  • Asklepios Klinik St. Georg

    Hamburg, 20099, Germany

  • CHU Lyon, Départment de Rythmologie, Hospital Cardiologique Pradel

    Lyon, 69677, France

  • Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Centre Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Centro Cardiologico Monzino University of Milan

    Milan, 20138, Italy

  • Cardioangiologisches Centrum Bethanien - CCB

    Frankfurt, 60431, Germany

  • Centre Chirurgical Ambroise Paré

    Neuilly-sur-Seine, 92200, France

  • Herz-Zentrum Bad Krozingen

    Bad Krozingen, 79189, Germany

  • Herz-Zentrum-Bodensee Konstanz

    Konstanz, 78464, Germany

  • Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona

    Barcelona, 08036, Spain

  • Hospital Clinico Universtitario, Cardiology Department Arrhythmia Unit

    Valencia, 46014, Spain

  • Hospital Henri Mondor CHU, Service de Cardiologie

    Créteil, 94010, France

  • Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Department of Cardiology, Campus Teatinos sn

    Málaga, 29010, Spain

  • Isala Klinieken loc. Weezenlanden Diagram Clinical Resarch

    Zwolle, 8011, Netherlands

  • Klinik für Kardiologie II mit interventioneller Elektrophysiologie

    Bad Neustadt/Saale, 97616, Germany

  • La Clinique Pasteur, 45 Avenue de Lombez

    Toulouse, 31076, France

  • Na Homolce Hospital, Cardiology

    Prague, 515030, Czechia

  • Semmelweis University of Medicine, Kardiovaskuläres Zentrum

    Budapest, 1122, Hungary

  • Universitätsklinikum Greifswald Elektrophysiologie

    Greifswald, 17475, Germany

  • Universitätsspital Basel, Elektrophysiologie/ Kardiologie

    Basel, 4031, Switzerland

Conditions

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