Long-term management of atrial fibrillation

In the past decade, catheter ablation techniques and implantable devices have revolutionized the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias, junctional arrhythmias, and atrial flutter. For most patients presenting with atrial fibrillation (AF), the treatment available today is similar to that used a century ago, although nonpharmacologic strategies of therapy have begun to emerge for selected cases. There have been important recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of AF and its complications, and it may be possible to improve patient management by refinement of the way in which current drugs are used.