Catheter ablation in persistent and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (afib) patients has traditionally had low success rates since many of the triggers causing atrial fibrillation are dispersed throughout the left atrium. Thus isolation of the pulmonary veins, which works well for those with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, is often an incomplete solution for those with persistent forms of afib.
At Heart Rhythm Society 2010, Dr. Christopher Cole looked at differing pulmonary vein isolation ablation strategies for different kinds of patients and discussed an analysis into success rates with various ablation techniques for those with persistent and longstanding persistent afib, including complex fractionated arterial electrograms (CFAE).
Learn more about catheter ablation options and success rates for persistent and longstanding persistent afib here:
Can Catheter Ablation Successfully Treat Persistent Atrial Fibrillation