Radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Until recently, catheter-based radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation was limited to palliative approaches of either atrioventricular node ablation or modification. It is now recognized that at least a proportion of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation may be suitable for curative ablation of an underlying single arrhythmogenic focus. With the intense interest in this area, a catheter-based cure involving endocardial linear lesion creation for patients with chronic or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation may not be far in the future.