{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"EP Edge Journal Watch","title":"EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 25 June 2026: AF Ablation, Left Atrial Appendage Closure, PFA Workflow, ICD Battery Longevity & Device Tradeoffs","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1567,"description":"In EP Edge Journal Watch Issue 25, June 2026, Dr. Sharma reviews the most clinically relevant new studies in cardiac electrophysiology, with a focus on atrial fibrillation, stroke prevention, pulsed field ablation, ICD therapy, CRT strategy, and EP lab decision-making.This episode is built around the theme “Beyond the Binary” — moving past simple endpoints like recurrence versus no recurrence, PFA versus RF, EF below 35%, or lead versus no lead. The data in this issue challenge how electrophysiologists think about ablation success, anticoagulation strategy, left atrial appendage closure, device selection, ICD longevity, and arrhythmia risk.Topics covered include:LAAC after AF ablation and the OPTION bleeding-risk substudy: whether left atrial appendage closure after catheter ablation should be considered beyond traditionally high HAS-BLED patients, and how LAAC compares with long-term oral anticoagulation for bleeding reduction and stroke prevention.Female sex and AF stroke risk: a large TriNetX analysis asking whether female sex is truly a uniform stroke-risk factor in atrial fibrillation or better understood as an age- and comorbidity-dependent risk modifier.PFA versus radiofrequency ablation for early recurrence: why pulsed field ablation may reduce symptomatic early recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation, but why early recurrence after PFA still strongly predicts later atrial arrhythmia recurrence.AF burden after ablation: a 4-year continuous-monitoring study showing why binary recurrence endpoints may underestimate meaningful clinical benefit, and why AF burden reduction may be a more patient-centered ablation outcome.Timing of recurrence after paroxysmal AF ablation — pooled trial data suggesting that most post-ablation recurrences are front-loaded, raising important questions about optimal follow-up duration in AF ablation trials.Left atrial size in persistent AF ablation: CAPLA substudy data showing that left atrial volume index may not predict binary...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/C7iPWVsHlGRm13syn3X4eXGLcqOXyzcuH5XmVutqgHc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jMzFi/ZTYxOTI1M2U4NGRj/OGZmZjBhMDFlMjFm/NDQwMC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}