Emerging Role of Renal Sympathetic Denervation as an Adjunct Therapy to Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Abstract

The central anatomical locus in the context of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has been the pulmonary veins. Despite the attainment of a modest long-term success rate through pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), the pursuit of achieving a therapeutic efficacy nearing a definitive cure has spurred an investigation into alternative strategies and anatomical loci beyond the pulmonary veins. Despite extensive exploration, none of these alternative targets have succeeded in establishing themselves as routine ablation sites comparable to the pulmonary veins. Consequently, there exists an imperative for further inquiry and refinement of ablation strategies to propel advancements within the domain of AF ablation, thereby augmenting patient outcomes. Simultaneously, the examination of the autonomic system’s role in AF pathophysiology introduces an additional ablation target aimed at rectifying sympathovagal imbalance. This discourse presents a contemporary review of renal denervation (RDN) as an emergent and auspicious technique poised to complement PVI, thereby contributing substantively to the augmentation of long-term success within the ambit of AF rhythm-control strategies.

Keywords

• ablation
• atrial fibrillation
• renal denervation