Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation: Overcoming Complications and Improving Success

Careful patient selection and optimization of the management of active medical conditions prior to proceeding with catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is critical to reducing complications and improving ablation success. AF ablation performed on patients who have not been offered appropriate antiarrhythmic drug therapy must be tempered with the procedure risks, particularly for those patients having multiple comorbidities. The inability to comply with systemic anticoagulation for thromboembolic prophylaxis in AF is a contraindication to AF ablation, as premature termination of anticoagulation therapy can lead to catastrophic thromboembolic complications. Successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), the cornerstone of AF ablation, is demonstrated by entrance and exit block post ablation, with sustained absence of atrium-to-pulmonary vein conduction in both directions. Beyond PVI, there is no consensus for other endpoints for AF ablation, particularly in patients with persistent or longstanding persistent AF. Complications of PVI for AF have decreased in recent years as technology and knowledge in this field has evolved; however, the risks of cardiac tamponade, thromboembolic complications, esophageal injury, and pulmonary vein stenosis may still be formidable.