INTRODUCTION
Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is commonly performed to treat atrial
fibrillation (AF). Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) has been established as a
standard method to achieve high efficacy in terms of acute success rate
or chronic durability;1 however, arrhythmia
recurrences are often experienced after PVI, especially in
non-paroxysmal AF. Therefore, researchers have examined various
strategies for obtaining a higher arrhythmia-free rate after ablation.
Linear ablation including the left atrial (LA) roof line is among the
therapeutic strategies for AF ablation, whereas CBA of the LA roof has
been reported as an additional therapy after PVI in patients with
non-paroxysmal AF.2 Still, esophageal complications
remain a concern during AF ablation.3,4 In addition to
atrioesophageal fistula—a rare but disastrous complication—several
studies have investigated the occurrence of gastric hypomotility (GH),
which may cause symptoms related to gastrointestinal function (e.g.,
discomfort, abdominal pain, nausea, and bloating).5–8However, there are no available data regarding GH after CBA of the LA
roof. Therefore, we aimed to investigate GH after CBA of the LA roof, as
well as factors that may be related to the occurrence of GH.