Atrial fibrillation in the early postablation period: causes and treatment

Abstract

The widespread introduction of catheter-based treatment for atrial fibrillation has led to a significant increase in the number of patients undergoing this procedure. Understanding the disease characteristics in the early period following catheter-based treatment is an important component of the systemic treatment of such patients, which improves both immediate and long-term outcomes. This time interval is referred to as the blanking period, it lasts for 3 months and may usually be accompanied by recurrent or even more frequent arrhythmia episodes. This publication discusses modern approaches and methods for managing and treating patients with atrial fibrillation specifically during the blanking period.

Keywords

• arrhythmias
• atrial fibrillation
• ablation
• catheter-based treatment
• antiarrhythmic therapy