Ablation vs Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation - Pilot Trial

Exclusion Criteria

• •Previously failed 2 or more membrane active anti-arrhythmic drugs
• •Efficacy failure of a full dose Amiodarone trial of \>12 weeks duration
• •Any amiodarone therapy in the past three months
• •Reversible causes of AF including thyroid disorders, acute alcohol intoxication, recent major surgical procedures, or trauma
• •Lone atrial fibrillation in the absence of risk factors for stroke in patients \<65 years of age
• •Recent cardiac events including myocardial infarction, percutaneous intervention, or valve or coronary bypass surgery in the preceding 3 months
• •Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
• •Class IV angina or congestive heart failure
• •Planned heart transplantation
• •Other mandated anti-arrhythmic drug therapy
• •Heritable arrhythmias or increased risk for "torsade de pointes" (a specific, rare variety of ventricular tachycardia) with class I or III drugs
• •Prior left atrial catheter ablation with the intention to treat AF
• •Patients with other arrhythmias requiring ablative therapy
• •Prior surgical interventions for AF such as the MAZE procedure
• •Prior atrioventricular nodal ablation
• •Medical conditions limiting expected survival to \<1 year
• •Contraindication to warfarin anti-coagulation
• •Women of childbearing potential
• •Participation in any other clinical mortality trial
• •Unable to give informed consent