Efficacy of catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials.

Catheter ablation (CA) is commonly performed for persistent atrial fibrillation, but few high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exist, leading to funding restrictions being proposed in several countries. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis of RCTs and non-RCTs to assess the efficacy of CA for persistent atrial fibrillation.