Effectiveness of cardioneuroablation in different subtypes of vasovagal syncope.

BACKGROUND: Cardioneuroablation (CNA) has shown encouraging results in patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS). However, data on different subtypes was scarce.

METHODS: This observational study retrospectively enrolled 141 patients [mean age: 40 ± 18 years, 51 males (36.2%)] with the diagnosis of VVS. The characteristics among different types of VVS and the outcomes after CNA were analyzed.

RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 4.3 ± 1.5 years, 41 patients (29.1%) experienced syncope/pre-syncope events after CNA. Syncope/pre-syncope recurrence significantly differed in each subtype ( P = 0.04). The cardioinhibitory type of VVS had the lowest recurrence rate after the procedure ( n = 6, 16.7%), followed by mixed ( n = 26, 30.6%) and vasodepressive ( n = 9, 45.0%). Additionally, a significant difference was observed in the analyses of the Kaplan-Meier survival curve ( P = 0.02). Syncope/pre-syncope burden was significantly reduced after CNA in the vasodepressive type ( P < 0.01). Vasodepressive types with recurrent syncope/pre-syncope after CNA have a lower baseline deceleration capacity (DC) level than those without (7.4 ± 1.0 ms vs. 9.0 ± 1.6 ms, P = 0.01). Patients with DC < 8.4 ms had an 8.1 (HR = 8.1, 95% CI: 2.2-30.0, P = 0.02) times risk of syncope/pre-syncope recurrence after CNA compared to patients with DC ≥ 8.4 ms, and this association still existed after adjusting for age and sex (HR = 8.1, 95% CI: 2.2-30.1, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: Different subtypes exhibit different event-free rates. The vasodepressive type exhibited the lowest event-free rate, but those patients with DC ≥ 8.4 ms might benefit from CNA.