title: Five years of catheter ablation procedures in South-Western Europe: meta-analysis of National Registries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiofrequency catheter ablation is a well-established approach to treating several types of cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of our study was to provide data on the diffusion of catheter ablation procedures in clinical practice through a meta-analysis of National Registries of electrophysiological procedures performed over a 5-year period, from 2000 to 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  We found only two national registries of catheter ablation procedures published in the journals indexed in PubMed: The Spanish Catheter Ablation Registry and the Portuguese National Registry on Cardiac Electrophysiology. In addition, we included in our analysis the data from the Italian Registry of Electrophysiological Procedures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis revealed a steady increase in the total number of catheter ablation procedures, particularly for the ablation of atrial flutter, of tachycardia due to double nodal pathways, and of the left atrial substrate in atrial fibrillation. However, the progress of catheter ablation and the impetus for additional research and development of new approaches and technologic advances requires further data on clinical indications, methodologic approach, complications, and long-term success rate in the real world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Maggiore, Crema, Italy. g.inama@hcrema.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Inama
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pedrinazzi
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adragao
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arribas
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonhorst
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elvas
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landolina
authors.forename: Josè L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Joao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Sousa
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulizia