Complications from catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia requiring treatment that is encountered in clinical practice. Recent advances in the understanding of underlying mechanisms of AF have led to the increased use of catheter ablation (CA) as a treatment modality for paroxysmal, persistent, or long-standing persistent AF in patients with symptomatic AF despite treatment with antiarrhythmic medications. Because of the complexity in technique and anatomic location of the ablation sites, it is not surprising that CA of AF is associated with a greater risk of procedural complications compared with simpler cardiac ablation procedures. Major and minor complications, including life-threatening complications, have been described and quantified. This systematic review describes the potential risks of CA that have been reported over a period and provides insights into the evolving strategies to minimize these complications, thus making CA techniques safer and potentially more efficacious for AF.