Atrial Fibrillation: Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

CardioNerds (Dr. Ramy Doss, Dr. Kelly Arps, and Dr. Naima Maqsood) dive into the nuances of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation with Dr. Jon Piccini. They provide a high-yield overview of AF ablation, guiding listeners from patient selection through post-procedural management. We review appropriate candidacy for catheter ablation across AF phenotypes, key elements of pre-procedural evaluation including imaging and anticoagulation strategy, and the fundamental procedural steps with pulmonary vein isolation as the cornerstone. The discussion compares lesion set strategies in de novo ablation and reviews currently used energy sources—including radiofrequency, cryoablation, and pulsed-field ablation—highlighting differences in safety and efficacy. They also examine surgical and hybrid approaches for selected patients and outline essential components of post-ablation care, including rhythm monitoring, anticoagulation decisions, and management of complications. This episode integrates contemporary evidence with practical insights to support clinicians delivering comprehensive AF ablation care. Audio editing for this episode was performed by CardioNerds intern Dr. Bhavya Shah.

NOTE: This episode was recorded in March 2025. Since then, the OCEAN trial showed that among patients who had had successful catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation at least 1 year earlier and had risk factors for stroke, treatment with rivaroxaban did not result in a significantly lower incidence of a composite of stroke, systemic embolism, or new covert embolic stroke than treatment with aspirin.