Martin Škamla, Adrian Bystriansky
Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation has become a standard treatment modality for rhythm control in a selected group
of patients. Catheter ablation is a more efficient rhythm control strategy compared to antiarrhytmic drugs, with an acceptably
low risk of complications. However, patients with atrial fibrillation represent a heterogenous population and
therefore selective catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation cannot be universally applicable to any patient with this arrhythmia.
Proper patient selection for this kind of treatment is a prerequisite for successful ablation and achievement
of long lasting rhythm control. The suitable candidate selection is based on symptoms, type of atrial fibrillation, efficacy
and safety of antiarrhythmic drugs, echocardiographic findings, comorbidity, age and patient preferences. We suggest
a simple scheme for clinical selection of ideal candidates for catheter ablation, which can be used in daily practice.