Nationwide survey of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: The Japanese Catheter Ablation Registry of Atrial Fibrillation (J-CARAF) – Report on antiarrhythmic drug therapy

Abstract Background The Japanese Heart Rhythm Society (JHRS) conducted a nationwide survey of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in Japan, the Japanese Catheter Ablation Registry of Atrial Fibrillation (J-CARAF). In this report, to offer a perspective on the current status of hybrid AF therapy, we focus on antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy before and after AF ablation. Methods The JHRS requested electrophysiology centers in Japan to retrospectively register the comprehensive data of each AF ablation session performed in September 2011, March 2012, or September 2012. Results A total of 179 EP centers submitted data for 3373 sessions. The average patient age was 62.2±10.6 years, and 76.1% (2587) were male. Patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) consisted of 64.4% of total patients. The average number of AADs used before AF ablation was 1.13±0.96. Among 2173 PAF patients, 454 subjects (20.9%) underwent AF ablation without preceding AAD therapy. At the time of discharge, 40.3% of PAF patients were given one or more AAD, while 63.0% of persistent AF patients and 71.5% of long-standing-persistent AF patients left the hospital with an AAD ( p