Precision patient selection for ablate-and-pace: a multi-center study comparing leadless pacemaker vs. standard pacemaker in patients with indication to ablate-and-pace for atrial fibrillation (LEAD-AP)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background In patients with symptomatic permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) who are not candidates for rhythm control, atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation followed by ventricular pacing “ablate-and-pace” offers reliable rate control and symptom relief. Conventional transvenous systems are effective but associated with lead- and pocket-related complications. Leadless pacemakers represent a promising alternative, yet comparative data in this setting remain scarce. The aim is to compare clinical outcomes of leadless vs. transvenous single-chamber pacemakers in patients undergoing AVN ablation for permanent AF. Methods We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study (LEAD-AP) of 168 consecutive patients undergoing ablate-and-pace between 2,017 and 2024 across four European centers. Patients received either a leadless pacemaker ( n = 56) or a conventional transvenous VVI pacemaker ( n = 112). The primary efficacy endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, AF-related hospitalizations, unplanned visits and device-related hospitalizations or reinterventions. The secondary efficacy endpoint was device-related hospitalizations or reinterventions. The primary safety endpoint was acute complications within 30 days. Results Patients in the leadless group more frequently underwent a single-step ablate-and-pace strategy (96.4% vs. 10.9%, p < 0.001), resulting in shorter hospitalization (1.1 days ± 3.1 vs. 5.7 days ± 2.2, p = 0.008). At 24 months of follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference between patients with leadless pacemaker vs. standard single-chamber VVI pacemaker in the event-free survival for the clinical efficacy endpoint (82.1% vs. 80.4% Log-Rank p = 0.29). Conclusions Leadless pacemakers provide comparable safety and efficacy to transvenous systems in ablate-and-pace patients, while enabling shorter hospitalization through a streamlined single-step approach.
Authors: Ingrid Overeinder, Luigi Pannone, Domenico Laviola, Wael Zaher, Giacomo Mugnai, Gianmarco Arabia, Ivan Eltsov, Ioannis Doundoulakis, Domenico Giovanni Della Rocca, Paul-Adrian Calburean, Vedran Pašara, Ludovica Carmagnola, Tommaso Sattin, Antonio Sorgente, Alvise Del Monte, Giacomo Talevi, Gezim Bala, Alexandre Almorad, Erwin Ströker, Juan Sieira, Ali Gharaviri, Mark La Meir, Pedro Brugada, Andrea Sarkozy, Gian Battista Chierchia, Antonio Curnis, Serge Boveda, Carlo de Asmundis
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7129050719