New ablation approach improves outcomes for persistent atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and increases the risk of conditions such as stroke and heart failure. An established treatment is catheter ablation, in which physicians use thin catheters to create small scars in heart tissue to block the electrical signals that cause the arrhythmia. Despite treatment, many patients with the more difficult-to-treat form, persistent atrial fibrillation, experience recurrence.

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