There is limited evidence to suggest which ablation method was the best .
There is limited evidence to suggest that CA may be a better treatment option compared to medical therapies in the management of persistent AF .
This review was also unable to recommend the best CA method
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia seen in cardiovascular departments .
Treatments include medical interventions and catheter ablation .
Due to uncertainties in medical therapies for AF , and the need to continue sinus rhythm , ablation has been recently considered as a viable alternative .
Many new ablation methods based on pulmonary vein isolation ( PVI ) have been developed .
OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this review was to assess the beneficial and harmful effects of  catheter ablation ( CA ) in comparison with medical treatment in patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF .
The secondary objective was to determine the best regimen of CA .
Left atrial catheter ablation promotes vasoconstriction of the right coronary artery.
BACKGROUND Multiple cardiac ganglia are present in the left atrial ( LA ) region , and marked changes in autonomic nervous activity can occur after left atrial catheter ablation ( CA ) for atrial fibrillation ( AF ) . Vasospastic angina involving the inferior wall of the left ventricle has been reported as a complication shortly after LACA . METHODS We studied 20 patients with drug-refractory AF who underwent LACA , performed to encircle the left- and right-sided pulmonary veins , 1 to 2 cm from their ostia under fluoroscopic guidance .  Quantitative coronary angiography was performed before and after LACA , and we analyzed the minimal lesion diameter ( MLD ) of the proximal segment of the coronary arteries , and the basal tone , the baseline percent constriction versus maximal dilation after nitroglycerin administration . RESULTS No significant difference was observed in MLD or basal tone of the left coronary arteries after LACA . However , in the right coronary artery ( RCA ) , the basal MLD was smaller ( P < 0.01 ) and the basal tone was greater ( P < 0.05 ) after than before LACA . No correlation was found between the baseline MLD or tone of the RCA and total amount of radiofrequency energy delivered or procedure duration . In 75 % of RCA , the baseline MLD was smaller after than before LACA , which was significantly higher ( P < 0.01 ) than observed in the left coronary arteries ( 38 % ) . CONCLUSION Vasoconstriction was promoted in the RCA shortly after LACA , which may explain the variant angina reported after LACA
There is limited evidence to suggest which ablation method was the best .
There is limited evidence to suggest that CA may be a better treatment option compared to medical therapies in the management of persistent AF .
This review was also unable to recommend the best CA method
BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation ( AF ) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia seen in cardiovascular departments .
Treatments include medical interventions and catheter ablation .
Due to uncertainties in medical therapies for AF , and the need to continue sinus rhythm , ablation has been recently considered as a viable alternative .
Many new ablation methods based on pulmonary vein isolation ( PVI ) have been developed .
OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this review was to assess the beneficial and harmful effects of  catheter ablation ( CA ) in comparison with medical treatment in patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF .
The secondary objective was to determine the best regimen of CA .