title: How To Follow Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Patients?
abstract: Catheter ablation is an established treatment option for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF), with circumferential pulmonary vein isolation being considered the cornerstone of the procedure. However, this is a complex intervention with potential major complications and with common arrhythmia recurrences. There is consensus among experts that all patients should be seen in follow-up regularly after AF ablation. To date there are limited data regarding the best methodology for routine clinical follow-up of this population. This review summarizes a contemporary insight into management of late complications following AF ablation, post-procedural anticoagulation and arrhythmia monitoring strategies, in order to prevent thromboembolic events, detect and treat arrhythmia recurrences, and discuss the use of upstream therapies after AF ablation.
authors.affiliation: Pacing and Electrophysiology Department, Cardiology, Santa Marta HospitalLisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mário M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Oliveira