Recognition that the initiation of atrial fibrillation often is dependent on arrhythmogenic foci within the pulmonary veins1 opened a new chapter in our understanding of the mechanisms of atrial fibrillation, which in turn has led to dramatic improvements in our ability to ablate atrial fibrillation. Based on experimental studies and clinical studies that used a variety of catheter and surgical...

Since quinidine was introduced by Frey in 1918 it has remained the drug of choice for the conversion of certain arrhythmias to sinus rhythm and for the maintenance of normal rhythm once achieved. It is commonly used in this manner for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, -paroxysmal tachycardia of atrial, nodal, and ventricular origin, and ventriculat fibrillation. It has also been employed as ...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The identification and ablation of atrial ectopic foci could complement the conventional empirical pulmonary vein approach and may increase the success rate of atrial fibrillation ablation. Although both adenosine and isoproterenol infusion have been reported to induce ectopics, no clear findings on their use during ablation have been published. Our aim was to invest...

The era of catheter ablation for the treatment of arrhythmias began in 1981, when Dr. Melvin Scheinman performed the first atrioventricular junction ablation using direct-current shocks in a patient with drug-refractory atrial fibrillation and an uncontrolled ventricular rate.1 Because of the barotrauma associated with intracardiac high-energy shocks, direct-current catheter ablation played onl...

Thromboembolic events are known complications of left atrial ablation therapy. We describe a complication which may also lead to systemic thromboembolism that has not been reported so far: the formation of a moving structure attached to the fossa ovalis after an attempted transseptal puncture in a 66-year old patient with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

In the recent years, many investigators have proved the efficacy and safety of catheter ablation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Further studies would be necessary to decrease the recurrence rate and complication rate, and make the procedure more simple.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate respiratory disturbances as potential triggers for arrhythmia in patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). BACKGROUND SDB is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) as well as a predilection for sudden cardiac death during nocturnal sleeping hours. However, prior research has not es...

BACKGROUND Catheter ablation of the pulmonary veins has become accepted as a standard therapeutic approach for symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there is some evidence for an ablation associated (silent) stroke risk, lowering the hope to limit the stroke risk by restoration of rhythm over rate control in AF. The purpose of the prospective randomized single-center study "...