Atrial Fibrillation Ablation – The State of the Art Based on the Venice Chart International Consensus Document

Andrea Natale, MD, FACC, FHRS Department of Cardiology Stanford University Palo Alto, CA, USA Antonio Raviele Graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery at Universita' degli Studi di Napoli of University of Napoli in 1971 Specialized in Cardiology at Florence University in 1974 Since 1995 Chief of the Cardiology Division and since 2000 Chief of the Cardiovascular Department of the Umberto I Hospital of Venice-Mestre, Italy From 2000 to 2004 President of AIAC, Italian Association of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing; from 2004 to 2006 Past-President of the same Association Founding Father and current General Secretary of ECAS, European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology and fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society

Preface. Contributors. VeniceChart Task Force Composition. 1 Anatomy of the left atrium and pulmonary veins. 2 Pathophysiology of atrial fibrilation. 3 Techniques and technologies for atrial fibrilation catheter ablation. 4 Endpoints of catheter ablation for atrial fibrilation. 5 Patient management pre- and postablation. 6 Anticoagulation issues. 7 Periprocedural and late complications. 8 Short- and long-term efficacy. Index