Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure

Exclusion Criteria

• •Previous ablation
• •Left atrial size greater than 60mm(parasternal view on transthoracic echocardiogram)
• •AF episodes triggered by another uniform arrhythmia(e.g.atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia)
• •Active alcohol or drug abuse, which may be causative of AF
• •Severe valvular disease requiring surgical repair
• •Myocardial infarction within 6 months of enrollment
• •Abnormality that prevents catheter introduction
• •Coronary surgical revascularization or other cardiac surgery within 6 months of enrollment
• •Patients in whom heart transplant expected with 6 months
• •AF deemed secondary to a transient or correctable cause (e.g.electrolyte imbalance ,trauma,recent surgery,,infection, toxic ingestion or endocrinopathy
• •Pregnancy or women of child bearing potential \& not on reliable method of birth control
• •Contraindication to Warfarin therapy or other bleeding diathesis
• •Participation in another clinical trial
• •Inaccessable to follow-up
• •Life expectancy of less than 24 months caused by reasons other than heart disease
• •Renal failure requiring dialysis
• •Decompensated CHF within 48 Hours of enrollment
• •Second or third degree AV block or sinus pause greater than 3 seconds, resting heart rate less 30 bpm without a permanent pacemaker
• •A history of drug induced Torsades de Pointes or congenital long QT syndrome
• •Currently responding to antiarrhythmic drug therapy
• •Uninterrupted AF for more than 12 months prior to randomization unless sinus rhythm maintained for 24 hours or longer.
• •Unwilling or unable to sign informed consent