We should be optimistic about ablation for atrial fibrillation

Assessing current technology takes time,1 and reviews may not reflect the current position. By the mid-1990s it was clear that pulmonary veins were the source of the triggering ectopics in most cases of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Various techniques for electrical isolation of the veins have been developed, with several types of radiofrequency ablation at the forefront.

The evidence reviewed in this …