Catheter ablation vs antiarrhythmic drug therapy for atrial fibrillation: a systematic review

Article Type: Reviews of effectiveness From: Clinical Governance: An International Journal, Volume 14, Issue 2

A. Noheria, A. Kumar, J.V. Wylie and M.E. Josephson,Archives of Internal Medicine,2008,Vol. 168,pp. 581-586

The authors concluded that the use of circumferential pulmonary vein ablation for atrial fibrillation may increase atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence-free survival at 12 months compared with anti-arrhythmic drug therapy, but larger studies are required. Other than the limited search the review was well conducted. The authors’ cautious conclusions reflect the limitations of the evidence and are likely to be reliable.