ECGI in atrial fibrillation: A clinician's wish list

Abstract

Have we a challenge of credibility in the invasive treatment of atrial fibrillation (AFIB)? The incidence of AFIB in the European Union (EU) is about 600,000 cases per year, while only 100,000 get an invasive treatment with a failure rate of close to 40%. Those that remain in AFIB need two times more hospitalizations and three times more re-hospitalizations. AFIB accounts for over 1% of the EU health care costs. Too many patients are not referred and the indication rates of cardiac ablation are inexplicably variable throughout the EU. A reflection is made on how electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) can contribute to bringing the therapy to an advanced level by achieving a higher success rate, efficiently increasing access to ablation therapies, a better patient selection and therapy planning, personalization and follow up.