Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: hope for all highly symptomatic patients.
Authors:
M. Fiala; J. Chovančík; R. Neuwirth; R. Nevřalová; O. Jiravský; I. Nykl; M. Branny
Authors‘ workplace:
oddělení kardiologie, Kardiocentrum, Nemocnice Podlesí, a. s., Třinec
Published in:
Kardiol Rev Int Med 2006, 8(Supplementum): 28-32
Overview
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent heart rhythm disturbance that is associated with an increased morbidity and mortality. Benefit of maintenance of the sinus rhythm is obvious, however, antiarrhythmic therapy has a limited efficacy. Catheter ablation offers a curative treatment of AF. Ablation strategies reflect the mechanism of arrhythmia initiation and perpetuation. Long-term elimination of paroxysmal AF is currently achieved according to the experience of different centers in 70-90 % of patients. Ablation of chronic AF is less effective, generally not exceeding 60 %. In patients with heart failure and AF, ablation of AF represents, according to the presence of underlying structural heart disease, a potential for improvement or even complete restoration of the systolic left ventricular performance. Ablation for paroxysmal AF resistant to antiarrhythmic drugs in highly symptomatic patients has been becoming a routine reality of the present days. In near future, development of the AF ablation into a method of the first choice or a method, employed in early stages of the disease, can be expected.
Key words:
atrial fibrillation - paroxysmal atrial fibrillation - chronic atrial fibrillation – heart failure – catheter ablation
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Paediatric cardiology Internal medicine Cardiac surgery CardiologyArticle was published in
Cardiology Review
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