BACKGROUND Persistent atrial fibrillation frequently shows multiple different electrophysiological mechanisms of induction. This heterogeneity causes a low success rate of single procedures of ablation and a high incidence of recurrence. Surgical ablation through bilateral thoracotomy demonstrates better results after a single procedure. Prospective observational studies in inhomogeneous popula...

BACKGROUND Despite the success of catheter ablation of cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent atrial flutter (AFL), important postablation outcomes are ill-defined. The purpose of our study was to analyze long-term outcomes after catheter ablation of cavotricuspid isthmus-dependent AFL. METHODS AND RESULTS A meta-analysis was performed of articles reporting clinical outcomes after catheter ablation ...

BACKGROUND Renal dysfunction was reported to be associated with a higher recurrence rate after electric cardioversion of atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between renal function, atrial substrate properties and outcome of catheter ablation in paroxysmal AF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 232 paroxysmal AF patients that underwent cathe...

The parasympathetic nervous system plays an important role in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. Catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure deactivating abnormal firing cardiac tissue, is increasingly becoming the therapy of choice for atrial fibrillation. This is inevitably associated with the obliteration of cardiac cholinergic neurons. However, the impact on ventricular elect...

Atrio-esophageal fistula as a complication of percutaneous transcatheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. ablation with esophageal cooling with a cooled water-irrigated intraesophageal balloon: a pilot study. A et al. Clinical characteristics of massive air embolism complicating left atrial ablation of atrial fibrillation: lessons from five cases. A et al. Prevention of periprocedural ischemic ...

Atrial fibrillation has evolved from being a novel unproven procedure to being an important treatment option for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation ablation is an appropriate treatment option for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation, particularly if they have failed one or more trials of antiarrhythmic drug therapy. While much has been learned about the ...

Atrial fibrillation ablation is a complex and challenging procedure. Appropriate patient selection is the most critical step to ensure safe and successful atrial fibrillation ablation procedure. The DECAAF study (Delayed-Enhancement MRI Determinant of Successful Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation) showed that atrial tissue fibrosis, as estimated by delayed enhancement magne...

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation has emerged as a viable therapeutic option for those patients who have failed conventional medical therapy. This treatment strategy has been introduced in the past decade following the discovery of ectopic foci in the pulmonary veins capable of initiating this arrhythmia. The basis of current ablation techniques relies on inducing myocardial necrosis at ...

BACKGROUND Electrogram-based identification of the regions maintaining persistent Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is a subject of ongoing debate. Here, we explore the concept of local electrical dyssynchrony to identify AF drivers. METHODS AND RESULTS Local electrical dyssynchrony was calculated using mean phase coherence. High-density epicardial mapping along with mathematical model were used to ex...

BACKGROUND Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) became an effective therapy for patients with drug-refractory AF, and the indications have broadened to include nonparoxysmal AF patients. However, data about the long-term effectiveness of ablation in patients with nonparoxysmal AF are lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term outcomes of catheter ablation in...