Atrial fibrillation catheter ablation in females: same hardware, different findings

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation catheter ablation has gained a significant role in the management of the frequent arrhythmia and has been shown to be safe and effective. As with many other interventional therapies, gender bias is present and females are referred for catheter ablation less frequently than their male counterparts. Women referred for catheter ablation tend to be older, more symptomatic, have failed more antiarrhythmic agents and may have poorer procedure success and increased vascular complication rates. Efforts to close this referral gap are clearly needed and it is likely that early referral will reduce gender differences in atrial fibrillation catheter ablation success rates.

Keywords::

• atrial fibrillation
• catheter ablation
• circumferential pulmonary vein ablation
• female
• gender disparities
• pulmonary vein isolation

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Carlos A Morillo has received honorarium from St Jude Medical and Biotronik and research grants from St Jude Medical and Biosense Webster. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.