Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrythmia, and the use of catheter, surgical, or hybrid (surgical combined with catheter) ablation is a strategy to restore a normal rhythm and to relieve symptoms, among other potential outcomes. This Topic Brief provides a summary of the breadth and volume of existing evidence and ongoing studies on ablation to support decision-making about targeted investment in evidence synthesis products or comparative clinical effectiveness research in this space. We also conducted stakeholder outreach to inform our understanding of the topic and to identify research needs.

About these Topic Briefs

Topic briefs like this one identify and categorize the existing effectiveness and comparative effectiveness literature on a medical issue. Using this information, PCORI evaluates the state of the research literature to determine if the current research supports development of a PCORI research product such as a systematic review or a primary research study. The reviews summarize the quality and quantity of research studies. View other topic briefs

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