title: Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Do We Really Need Preprocedural Imaging?
abstract: Atrial fibrillation is the most common human arrhythmia, causing significant mortality and morbidity. Because of the potential for complications, it is important that procedures be made as safe and effective as possible by combining safe procedural planning with effective therapy delivery. To change the current approach, large randomized studies are needed to guide the selection of patients who may safely undergo ablation without transesophageal echocardiography to exclude thrombus. For institutions routinely using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to assess pulmonary vein anatomy before procedures, the possibility of excluding intracardiac thrombi using these imaging modalities should be considered.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA Health System, 100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Cardiology, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bourke
authors.affiliation: UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA Health System, 100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moriarty
authors.affiliation: UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA Health System, 100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Noel G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.affiliation: UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA Health System, 100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Kalyanam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shivkumar