title: Ablation of atrial fibrillation: what can we tell our patients?
abstract: Although catheter-based radiofrequency ablation is no longer experimental, it is not yet the first-line treatment for most patients. The authors describe how this procedure works, its indications, benefits, and limitations, and important points to communicate to potential candidates for this procedure.
authors.affiliation: Akron General Medical Center, Akron, OH 44302-1707, USA.
authors.forename: Punam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schweikert
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cummings
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life