Catheter ablation of long standing persistent atrial fibrillation: Lessons learned

Atrial fibrillation has evolved from being a novel unproven procedure to being an important treatment option for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation ablation is an appropriate treatment option for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation, particularly if they have failed one or more trials of antiarrhythmic drug therapy. While much has been learned about the optimal technique and outcomes for catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with long standing persistent atrial fibrillation remains in its infancy. The following objectives would be accomplished in this review article. First, we will review the various ablation strategies, which have been employed and proposed for ablation of long standing persistent atrial fibrillation. Second, the methodology, results and outcomes of the major studies were reviewed in detail, which have reported outcomes of ablation in this patient population. And finally, some conclusions were drawn regarding where we stand and where the knowledge gaps remain as we seek to improve ablation outcomes in this population of AF patients.