Catheter ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation.
The past several years have witnessed a significant growth in the number of institutions offering catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). This growth has been a result of a better understanding of pathophysiology of AF and use of instruments and approaches that made catheter ablation of AF a safe and an effective alternative to the drug therapy. The procedure increasingly is becoming a therapy of choice for a select group of symptomatic, drug-refractory patients without structural heart disease, and it is being offered to a rapidly widening patient pool. This article reviews the procedural aspects and clinical evidence supporting this wider use of AF ablation. In addition, new techniques and technologies for AF ablation and new avenues of research in this area are explored.
Division of Cardiology, William Beaumont Hospital, Northpointe Heart Center, 27901 Woodward Avenue, Suite 300, Berkley, MI 48072-0921, USA.
Bohuslav
B
Finta
David E
DE
Haines
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans