Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is expanding to persistent AF and heart failure populations, with ongoing technological advances aimed at improving success rates and safety.
May inform ablation candidacy in persistent AF and HF; leaves open RCT confirmation of outcomes.
Catheter ablation (CA) of the pulmonary veins for atrial fibrillation (AF) is growing exponentially and is the most commonly performed electrophysiologic procedure. Initial descriptions focused on CA for paroxysmal AF, and now more recently expanded in application to persistent AF and those with comorbid heart failure. Efforts to improve success have and continue to address issues such as pulmonary vein "reconnection" following ablation through different ablative energy modalities, and the use of a "hybrid" surgical/endocardial combined approach in persistent forms of AF. Technologic advances as well are concurrently seeking to improve safety, particularly regarding the incidence of atrio-esophageal fistula in this seemingly ever-growing ablation population.
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Aaron Hesselson (2020) studied this question.
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