title: [Role of radiofrequency ablation in atrial fibrillation].
abstract: Atrial fibrillation is the most frequently encountered arrhythmia in the human species. Its danger is widely appreciated but it remains for certain patients and their practitioners an awkward or even exasperating problem. Only surgery and radiofrequency ablation allow certain patients to be cured. The surgical approach is of course warranted in the case of an otherwise necessary cardiac intervention. In the absence of a surgical indication, endovenous ablation, which is less aggressive, is preferred. The procedure consists of disconnecting the pulmonary veins which "house" 80 to 95% of the foci, together with the ablation of further non-venous foci, which are always difficult to treat. Side effects in experimental centres are rare and 70% of patients are cured, which allows cessation of antiarrhythmic and anticoagulant treatments. The procedure is currently offered to symptomatic patients having had at least one episode every ten days in spite of antiarrhythmics.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital cardiologique du Haut-Léveque, avenue de Magellan, 33604 Pessac.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaïs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haïssaguerre
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hocini
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macle
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garrigue
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Le Métayer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clémenty
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
vernacular_title: Place de l'ablation par radiofréquence dans la fibrillation auriculaire.