Ablation not Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy Should Be the First Line Approach for Paroxysmal AF

March 14, Sunday 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
This session might be one of the more exciting gatherings of electrophysiologists at ACC.10. It will pit experts against experts, debating the pros and cons of particular therapies on particular patients.

Are there specific benefits of catheter ablation relative to drug therapy for some patients? How can EPs identify and distinguish which patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) are optimal candidates for ablation or drug therapy? While these questions may not be resolved, they will be thoroughly discussed, with antagonist and protagonist case witnesses lending their support. In addition, the audience can join the fun via the audience response system.

A second debate will focus on controversies surrounding treating heart failure patients with ablation. What are the arguments for left atrial ablation for patients with left ventricular dysfunction? What are the increased risks of AF for these patients? Experts will present their cases for and against ablation in this patient population, and then they will finish with a rebuttal to each argument.

Location: Room B103

Speaker Information:

Ralph J. Damiano, MD, Jr., St. Louis
James P. Daubert, MD, Durham, N.C.
Thomas Deering, MD, Atlanta
David J. Wilber, MD, Maywood, Ill.
Eric N. Prystowsky, MD, Indianapolis
Francis E. Marchlinski, MD, Philadelphia
Richard L. Page, MD, Seattle
David J. Callans, MD, Philadelphia
A. John Camm, MD, London

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