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 .
Prevalence and characteristics of left atrial tachycardia following left atrial catheter ablation.
BACKGROUND Left atrial tachycardia ( AT ) is a complication of  left atrial catheter ablation ( LACA ) of atrial fibrillation ( AF ) . However , its prevalence and characteristics have not been sufficiently clarified . METHODS We divided 121 patients who underwent LACA into 2 groups based on the results of AT occurrence after LACA ( follow-up period ; 12 + /- 7 months ) : an AT+ group and AT- group . RESULTS New-onset left AT occurred in 30 patients ( 25 % ) 31 + /- 51 days after LACA . Among the 26 patients with an early onset of AT , 4 underwent a second ablation for AT , and 21 became free of AT within 6 months without a repeat ablation procedure . Among the 4 patients with a late onset of AT ( > 2 months after the LACA ) , the tachycardia remitted without a repeat ablation procedure in a single patient within 6 months . Among 71 patients who underwent LACA  with additional ablation lines , 22 ( 31 % ) developed new-onset left AT . Among 50 patients who underwent LACA  alone , 8 ( 16 % ) developed new-onset left AT ( P = 0.02 ) . CONCLUSIONS New-onset left AT is a frequent complication of LACA for AF , especially in men and in patients with a low left ventricular ejection fraction . Early ( < 2 months ) onset AT does not require a repeat ablation because it often represents a transient phenomenon and disappears spontaneously
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 .