Ablate and Pace: Is There Still a Role?

Despite the development of newer drugs and procedures to improve rhythm control, there is still a place for ablation of the atrioventricular junction (AVJ) in the management of selected patients with AF who are refractory to medical therapy, to improve quality of life, prevent ventricular dysfunction, and to optimize cardiac resynchronization therapy. We review all aspects of the "ablate and pace" strategy, from its history to patient selection, technique, outcomes and applications, and identify the need for randomized clinical trials to address some of the remaining questions regarding its application in some groups of patients.