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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
28:13

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: February 26, 2013

Efficacy and Safety of Catheter Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A

Anjali Bai1, Haresh Kumar1, Rukash Khan Niazi2

  • 1From the Department of Medicine, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Science, Jamshoro, Pakistan.

Cardiology in Review
|June 16, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Catheter ablation (CA) significantly improves survival and reduces hospitalizations for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). CA also enhances cardiac function, offering a disease-modifying therapy option.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Heart Failure Research

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) is prevalent in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
  • The optimal management strategy for AF in HFrEF remains a critical clinical question.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of catheter ablation (CA) versus medical therapy for AF in HFrEF patients.
  • To assess the impact on mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials and derived studies.
  • Searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to December 2025.
  • Assessed risk of bias using Cochrane RoB 2.0 and certainty with GRADE.

Main Results:

  • CA significantly reduced all-cause mortality (RR=0.61) and HF hospitalizations (RR=0.68).
  • LVEF improved by a mean of 6.4% in the CA group.
  • AF recurrence and quality of life outcomes favored CA.

Conclusions:

  • Catheter ablation is a safe and effective therapy for HFrEF patients with AF.
  • CA improves survival, reduces hospitalizations, and enhances cardiac function in this population.
  • Supports CA as a disease-modifying treatment strategy for AF in HFrEF.

Keywords:
atrial fibrillationcatheter ablationheart failure with reduced ejection fractionleft ventricular ejection fraction, rhythm-control therapypulmonary vein isolation

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