Costea A, Goldstein L, Maccioni S, et al. - This retrospective, observational cohort analysis was undertaken to compare real-world clinical as well as financial results in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients receiving cardiac ablation with the contact force-sensing porous tip THERMOCOOL SMARTTOUCH SF (STSF) catheter vs the Arctic Front Advance Cryoballoon (AFA-CB) catheter. For this purpose, Premier Healthcare Database was used. Matched cohorts of STSF and AFA-CB patients were compared in terms of cost, length of stay, readmissions, direct current cardioversion and reablation outcomes. Findings revealed that patients with AF receiving cardiac catheter ablation using the STSF catheter vs the AFA-CB catheter had lower index ablation total and supply costs. In relation to the STSF catheter vs the AFA-CB catheter, a significantly lower probability of 4-month to 6-month cardiovascular-associated readmission was noted.