Advances in atrial fibrillation ablation technologies

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac heart rhythm disorders and is associated with reduced quality of life, enhanced risk of stroke, heart failure, and increased mortality. Atrial fibrillation ablation is an effective treatment modality, however in some patients the heart rhythm disorder reoccurs after the procedure. In this thesis, we provide an overview of the history of atrial fibrillation and the present available ablation techniques. Then, we present results of head-to-head comparison between different ablation techniques. We identify factors that influence treatment success of an ablation. We describe the impact of ablation on quality of life improvement. Furthermore, we present results of research on a new ablation technique, the so-called “irreversible electroporation” for future use in atrial fibrillation ablation. Lastly, we discuss the findings of this thesis in the light of recent studies on atrial fibrillation.