This editorial describes the past, present, and future directions of interventional therapy for atrial fibrillation, noting that only approximately 4% of patients currently receive such treatments.
This editorial reviews the history, current practice, and future directions of catheter and surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation, advocating for a more aggressive interventional approach.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common of all cardiac arrhythmias, affecting roughly 1% of the general population in the Western world. The incidence of AF is predicted to double by 2050. Most patients with AF are treated with oral medications and only approximately 4% of AF patients are treated with interventional techniques, including catheter ablation and surgical ablation. The increasing prevalence and the morbidity/mortality associated with AF warrants a more aggressive approach to its treatment. It is the purpose of this invited editorial to describe the past, present, and anticipated future directions of the interventional therapy of AF, and to crystallize the problems that remain.
McCarthy et al. (Fri,) conducted a editorial in Atrial fibrillation. Catheter ablation and surgical ablation was evaluated. This editorial describes the past, present, and future directions of interventional therapy for atrial fibrillation, noting that only approximately 4% of patients currently receive such treatments.