Atrial fibrillation (AFib) not only causes shortness of breath and palpitations but puts patients at increased risk of stroke. When medication or other treatments fail to relieve symptoms, cardiologists increasingly perform a catheter ablation procedure.

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows the procedure is successful in most patients, with few side effects.

Joining me today to talk about AFib, medication treatments, cardiac ablation and the recent study is Peter R. Kowey, MD. Dr Kowey is a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and the William Wikoff Smith Chair in Cardiovascular Research.

In addition, Dr Kowey is the senior author of the study–Initial Findings From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures

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