Quality of life and costs of conventional therapy in patients treated by catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

Aims: The purpose of the study was to assess quality of life, socioeconomic parameters, and costs of conventional therapy in patients treated by catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods: The study included 160 patients treated by catheter ablation for AF who fulfilled a minimum of 2-year follow-up. Quality of life using EQ-5D questionnaire, and days of hospitalization and working incapacity were evaluated before ablation and every 6 months after ablation. Further, one-year costs of conventional therapy for AF were assessed before and after ablation.Results: Quality of life was significantly improved at each post-ablation stage. EQ-5D index increased from baseline 68 +/- 14 to 76 +/- 17 after 2 years (p<0.001), and EQ-VAS score from baseline 65 +/- 17 to 71715 after 2 years (p=0.01). Significant reduction was further observed in the count of hospitalization days and days of working incapacity (both po0.01). The cost of conventional therapy per patient per year decreased from 49,337 Czech Crowns (1974h) before ablation to 16.504 (660 OE) and 13.576 CZC (543 OE) in the first and second post-ablation year, respectively.Conclusion: AF ablation was associated with significant improvement in quality of life, and decrease in days of hospitalization and working incapacity. There was more than three-fold reduction in the costs of conventional therapy observed in the first two years after ablation. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z.o.o. on behalf of The Czech Society of Cardiology.