title: Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity, including angina, heart failure, and stroke. Medical therapy remains suboptimal, with significant side effects and toxicities, and a high recurrence rate. Catheter ablation or modification of the atrioventricular node with pacemaker implantation provides rate-control but exposes patients to the hazards associated with implantable devices and does nothing to reduce the risk for stroke. Pulmonary vein antrum isolation offers a nonpharmacologic means of restoring sinus rhythm, thereby eliminating the morbidity of atrial fibrillation and the need for antiarrhythmic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Biase
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Gallinghouse
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Natale
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001283:Atrioventricular Node / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome