Clinical characteristics and rhythm outcome of catheter ablation of hemodynamically corrected valvular atrial fibrillation

•Hemodynamic burden can be relieved after surgical correction of valve disease.•Catheter ablation outcome of corrected valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is similar to non-valvular AF.•This finding is consistent in mechanical valve AF and mitral valvoplasty AF.•The main post-maze conduction recovery is found on both atrial isthmus areas. Although the hemodynamic burden and structural substrate contribute to valvular atrial fibrillation (VAF) mechanisms, the role of catheter ablation has rarely been reported. We investigated the clinical characteristics, mapping findings, and long-term rhythm outcomes after catheter ablation of hemodynamically corrected VAF. We compared 77 patients with VAF (46.8% male, 52.7±8.8 years old, 46.8% paroxysmal AF, 24.7% with maze procedures) and 2244 patients with non-VAF (NVAF) who underwent catheter ablation. Among the VAF patients, 44 (57.1%) had mechanical valve AF (MV-AF) and 33 (42.9%) underwent a prior mitral valvuloplasty (MVP-AF). We analyzed the catheter ablation rhythm outcomes for MV-AF and MVP-AF. The left atrial (LA) diameter was greater (p