Abstract
Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has gained wide acceptance as an important therapeutic modality for the treatment of patients with symptomatic reccurent AF. According to several randomized trials, catheter ablation for AF is superior to continuing pharmacologic treatment when at least one antiarrythmic drug failed to control the AF.
In these studies, the ablation strategy resulted to freedom from AF reccurence, improvement in AF burden and improvement in quality of life. However, because catheter ablation for AF is a demanding technical procedure that may result in serious complications, patients should only undergo AF ablation after carefully weighing the risks and benefits of the procedure.
Meticulous clinical approach is required to identify the patients most likely to respond to catheter ablation. Not only diligently performed ablation procedure but also pre- and post-procedural management of patients in collaboration with referring physicians is crucial for final clinical success.