title: Ablation of atrial fibrillation after the retirement age: considerations on safety and outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) progressively increases with age, the vast majority of AF ablation is done in middle-aged patients. We evaluated the feasibility and safety of catheter ablation in patients older than 65 years of age with paroxysmal and persistent AF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of a total of 230 consecutive AF ablation procedures, 45 patients were older than 65 years of age and underwent 53 procedures. The ablation strategy consisted of wide-area circumferential lines around both ipsilateral pulmonary veins using a three-dimensional mapping system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 69 ± 3.5 years (35 males). The mean duration for AF was 8.7 ± 6.5 years. Thirty-nine had paroxysmal and six persistent AF despite use of 1.38 ± 0.77 antiarrhythmic drugs. All patients had a structurally normal heart. Eleven had systemic hypertension. Mean procedure time was 187 ± 33 min. Acute procedural success rate with abolition of all pulmonary vein potentials was achieved in all patients. Pericardial tamponade requiring percutaneous drainage occurred in one (1.9%) patient. There were no cardioembolic events. Among the 43 patients whose clinical outcome was assessed at 6 months, 34 (79%) had a significant reduction (>90%) of the total symptomatic AF burden, compared to pre-ablation, with a complete lack of symptomatic AF in 32 (74%) patients. The success rate was higher for patients with paroxysmal versus persistent AF (81 vs. 67%). Six patients (11%) underwent repeat procedures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catheter ablation is a safe and effective treatment for patients over the age of 65 years with symptomatic, drug-refractory AF. Therefore, patients should not be excluded from undergoing AF catheter ablation on the basis of age alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, BC, Canada. laurent.haegeli@usz.ch
authors.forename: Laurent M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Haegeli
authors.forename: Firat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duru
authors.forename: Evan E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lüscher
authors.forename: Laurence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Sterns
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Leather
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D000075202:Contraindications; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D016896:Treatment Outcome