Trends over the recent 6 years in ablation modalities and strategies, post‐ablation medication, and clinical outcomes of atrial fibrillation ablation

Abstract Background Ablation strategies and modalities for atrial fibrillation (AF) have transitioned over the past decade, but their impact on post‐ablation medication and clinical outcomes remains to be fully investigated. Methods We divided 682 patients who had undergone AF ablation in 2014–2019 (420 paroxysmal AFs [PAF], 262 persistent AFs [PerAF]) into three groups according to the period, that is, the 2014–2015 (n = 139), 2016–2017 (n = 244), and 2018–2019 groups (n = 299), respectively. Results Persistent AF became more prevalent and the left atrial (LA) diameter larger over the 6 years. Extra‐pulmonary vein (PV)‐LA ablation was more frequently performed in the 2014–2015 group than in the 2016–2017 and 2018–2019 groups (41.1% vs. 9.1% and 8.1%; p