Using personalized computer models to custom-tailor ablation procedures for atriai fibrillation patients: are we there yet?

摘要

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder, affecting 1-2% of the global population and contributing significantly to mortality and morbidity rates [1]. Some forms of this arrhythmia can be successfully treated via catheter ablation, but the success rate of such procedures for individuals with persistent AF (PsAF) is dismal (~50%) [2]. This is attributed in part to the presence of extensive atrial fibrotic remodeling in PsAF patients, which confounds strategies for identifying ablation targets [3]. This problem is exacerbated by significant inter-patient variability in the spatial distribution of fibrotic tissue [4]. As such, there is a pressing need to devise new ablation strategies that incorporate understanding of how each PsAF patient's pattern of fibrotic remodeling contributes to arrhythmia perpetuation.