Surgery no better than medication at preventing serious complications of atrial fibrillation

(NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute) Catheter ablation, a common cardiovascular procedure, appears no more effective than drug therapies in preventing strokes, deaths, and other complications in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, patients who get the procedure experience much greater symptom relief and long-term improvements in the quality of life, including fewer recurrences of the condition and fewer hospitalizations, than those who get only drugs.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news