Atrial Fibrillation Ablation and Autonomic Modulation Via Thorascopic Surgery (AFACT)

April 24, 2017 updated by: J.R. de Groot, Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

A Randomized Single Center Study to Prospectively Investigate the Effect of Ablation of the Autonomic Ganglia in Addition to Minimally Invasive Surgical Isolation of Pulmonary Veins in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

This study aims at investigating the role of autonomic modulation of AF. Therefore, totally thoracoscopic PV isolation with additional ablation of ganglionated plexi (GP) will be studied against PV isolation alone. Two groups of patients (paroxysmal AF with or without structural heart disease and persistent AF with or without heart disease) of 110 patients each will be studied.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common chronic arrhythmia in man. Its treatment consists of control of ventricular rate or attempts to restore sinus rhythm. For symptomatic patients who fail on anti arrhythmic drugs, isolation of the pulmonary veins (PV), with additional linear left atrial lesions when appropriate, can cure AF. At least in some, but probably in many patients, the autonomous nervous system plays a pivotal role in the initiation and perpetuation of AF. The autonomic ganglia, or ganglionated plexi (GP) are located within the epicardial fat pads of the left atrium. This study aims at investigating the additional value of ablation of those GPs in addition to totally thoracoscopic PV isolation.

Objective of the study:

This study aims at investigating the role of autonomic modulation of AF. Therefore, totally thoracoscopic PV isolation with additional ablation of ganglionated plexi (GP) will be studied against PV isolation alone. Two groups of patients (paroxysmal AF with or without structural heart disease and persistent AF with or without heart disease) of 110 patients each will be studied.

Study design:

This is a single center, randomized single blinded study

Study population:

Any patient with an indication for non-pharmacological treatment of symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent AF can enter the study. An indication for non-pharmacological treatment exists when patients are symptomatic and have failed on at least one anti-arrhythmic drug. Symptoms of AF include, but are not limited to palpitations, reduced exercise capacity, exertional dyspnea, and fatigue. Failure of anti-arrhythmic therapy is defined as 1) recurrence of AF despite the use of an anti-arrhythmic drug in a clinical efficacious dosing or 2) adverse effects of medication that is not acceptable to the patient.

Intervention (if applicable):

In patients randomized to additional GP ablation, the following procedures will be carried out during the totally thoracoscopic procedure in addition to the PV isolation (and extended lesion set when appropriate): The left atrial autonomic GPs are localized within the epicardial fat pads and subsequently ablated with radiofrequency current delivered through an ablation probe (AtriCure Isolator™ Transpolar™ pen).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
240

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Netherlands
      • Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1100 DD
        • Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age is between 18 and 80 years
  • AF is symptomatic, paroxysmal or persistent (hence not long standing persistent)
  • In case of persistent AF, successful cardioversion within the last 12 months (cardioversion will be considered failed if AF recurs within 48 hours)
  • AF was documented on ECG, Holter or pacemaker electrogram at least once in the 6 months preceding presentation
  • At least one class I or III antiarrhythmic drug in standard dosage has failed or is not tolerated
  • Legally competent and willing and able to sign informed consent
  • Willing and able to adhere to the follow up visit protocol
  • Life expectancy of ≥2 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior catheter ablation for AF within the preceding 4 months
  • Refusal to take antiarrhythmic medication
  • Myocardial infarction (defined as CKMB> twice upper limit of normal) within the preceding 2 months
  • NYHA class IV/IV heart failure symptoms, or class II-III with a recent decompensation requiring hospitalization or left ventricular ejection fraction<35% (unless related to or aggravated by AF).
  • Cerebrovascular accident (defined as any sudden neurological deficit lasting longer than 24 hours, with or without pathological changes on the CT cerebrum) with the preceding 6 months
  • Known and documented carotid stenosis>80%
  • Planned cardiac surgery for other purposes than AF (alone)
  • Evidence of active infection (as evidenced by increased white blood cell count, elevated CRP level or fever >38,5 °C)
  • Unable to undergo TEE
  • Pregnancy or of childbearing potential without adequate contraception
  • Requirement of antiarrhythmic medication for ventricular arrhythmias
  • Presence of intracardiac mass or thrombus (Discovery of any thrombus or intracardiac mass after signing of the informed consent will result in withdrawal of the patient from the study)
  • Co-morbid condition that possesses undue risk of general anesthesia or port access cardiac surgery (in the opinion of the investigator)
  • History of previous radiation therapy on the thorax
  • Circumstances that prevent follow-up (no permanent home or address, transient, etc.)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: SINGLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
EXPERIMENTAL: GP ablation
Thoracoscopic PV isolation with GP ablation
Procedure: Totally Thoracoscopic PV isolation
Surgery is performed through three ports bilaterally in the intercostal spaces. PVI is performed with a bipolar radiofrequency clamp and confirmed with a custom made multi-electrode probe with closely spaced (1mm) electrode terminals. Additional left atrial ablation lines are created and conduction block is verified in patients with persistent and permanent AF.
Other Names:
  • Mini-Maze
  • VATS-PVI
EXPERIMENTAL: No GP ablation
Thoracoscopic PV isolation with no GP ablation
Procedure: Totally Thoracoscopic PV isolation
Surgery is performed through three ports bilaterally in the intercostal spaces. PVI is performed with a bipolar radiofrequency clamp and confirmed with a custom made multi-electrode probe with closely spaced (1mm) electrode terminals. Additional left atrial ablation lines are created and conduction block is verified in patients with persistent and permanent AF.
Other Names:
  • Mini-Maze
  • VATS-PVI

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The primary endpoint of the study is freedom of AF after one year after the procedure without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs.
Time Frame: One year
The primary endpoint of the study is freedom of AF after one year after the procedure without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs. Freedom of AF is defined as the absence of documentation of AF on serial Holter recordings during follow up and on ECGs recorded outside the scope of the study. One single episode of <30 minutes is allowed. Patients complaints about palpitations without the documentation of AF is allowed.
One year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Freedom of AF after two years after the procedure without the use of any antiarrhythmic drug
Time Frame: Two Years
Freedom of AF after two years after the procedure without the use of any antiarrhythmic drug. Definition of freedom of AF as above.
Two Years
Quality of life
Time Frame: One Year
Improvement of functional status as measured by the RAND 36 quality of life questionnaires
One Year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Netherlands Heart Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: J.R. De Groot, MD, PhD, Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2010

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 23, 2015

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 23, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 23, 2010

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 24, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 25, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 24, 2017

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NL30199.018.10

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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