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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
[Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: which anti-arrhythmic treatment?]
Fabrice Extramiana1, Anne Messali, Ghassan Moubarak
1Service de cardiologie, hôpital Lariboisière, AP-HP, 75475 Paris cedex 10, France. fabrice.extramiana@lrb.aphp.fr
Abstract:
Only symptomatic patients with paroxysmal AF will be prescribed anti-arrhythmic drugs in order to prevent recurrences. Anti-arrhythmic drugs' efficacy in maintaining sinus rhythm is around 50 to 70 % at one year. Anti-arrhythmic drug prescription is associated with potentially life-threatening pro-arrhythmic effects. Anti-arrhythmic drug prescription should be tailored to each patient after carefully evaluating the risk/benefit ratio. Pulmonary veins isolation might be proposed in case of symptomatic paroxysmal AF after failure of anti-arrhythmic drug therapy.
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