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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
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Biophysical aspects and novel treatments of atrial fibrillation

Lorenzo Gigli1, Gian M Rosa1, Maria I Tagliasacchi1

  • 1Department of Cardiology, IRCCS S. Martino Hospital, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.

Minerva Cardioangiologica
|July 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Atrial fibrillation (AF) treatments like antiarrhythmic drugs and ablation show promise but require improvement. Future research, particularly in AF genetics, may offer new therapeutic avenues for this common arrhythmia.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia with complex underlying mechanisms.
  • These mechanisms include multiple re-entering wavelets, high-frequency activity, and rotor sources.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current understanding and treatment of atrial fibrillation.
  • To explore emerging therapeutic strategies and future research directions.

Main Methods:

  • A narrative review of literature from PubMed and MEDLINE up to May 2016.
  • Search terms included "atrial fibrillation" combined with "catheter ablation, pathophysiology, antiarrhythmic drugs".

Main Results:

  • Antiarrhythmic drugs are primary AF treatments but have limitations in efficacy and safety.
  • Pulmonary vein ablation has evolved from surgical to percutaneous approaches, though complications exist.
  • Genetic studies, including micro-RNA, represent a promising area for understanding AF.

Conclusions:

  • Significant advancements have improved the understanding of AF's electrophysiological basis.
  • Further research, especially in AF genetics, holds potential for novel therapeutic strategies.
Abstract

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