Basic concepts of atrial fibrillation Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common persistent arrhythmia, with an incidence of more than 5% in people over 65 years of age. Atrial fibrillation not only makes patients feel panic, shortness of breath, chest tightness, weakness and mental discomfort, but also aggravates the existing heart failure and angina symptoms, and long-term atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke and hemiplegia. Stroke occurs in 4-5% of patients with atrial fibrillation each year, and patients who have had a history of stroke are more likely to have a recurrence. Cerebral thrombosis caused by atrial fibrillation is the main culprit in 1/4 to 1/3 of patients with hemiplegia. The main hazards of atrial fibrillation (1) blood stagnation in the atria is prone to the formation of blood clots, which can lead to cerebral embolism limb paralysis, embolism of the heart, intestines, kidneys and limbs; (2) frequent episodes can lead to significant atrial enlargement, with the left atrial volume increasing 2-3 times in 2-3 years in some patients; (3) uncoordinated atrial contraction and partial loss of cardiac function, generally estimated at 15-20%, aggravating and worsening the existing (4) frequent episodes produce panic, dizziness, blackness and even syncope. Common symptoms of atrial fibrillation The presence or absence of symptoms in patients with atrial fibrillation depends on the following factors: 1. ventricular beat rate: easy to appear when the heart beats too fast or too slow 2. ventricular beat rhythm: the heart rhythm is definitely irregular in atrial fibrillation, and it is more likely to be symptomatic when it is severely irregular. 3, cardiac function status: the worse the cardiac function status, the more symptoms. 4.Concomitant diseases. 5, the sensitivity and tolerability of the patient’s perceived symptoms: when atrial fibrillation first occurs, there can be obvious symptoms, and as the course of the disease lengthens, some patients can gradually adapt, and the symptoms may be reduced or even disappear, but the harm is not reduced. The common symptoms of atrial fibrillation are: Palpitations (a stronger beating sensation of the heart): associated with strong and weak heart beats, most often occurring when the heart rate is too fast and too slow and with severe arrhythmias. Dizziness: associated with a decrease in cardiac output during arrhythmias, which affects the blood supply to the brain. Fatigue and shortness of breath: especially in those with organic heart disease and cardiac dysfunction. A small number of patients with atrial fibrillation have no symptoms and are detected by chance. For frequent paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, several antiarrhythmic drugs can be used for drug treatment, but it is impossible to cure atrial fibrillation, and it is enough to reduce the number of episodes and the duration of atrial fibrillation. Therefore, for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with frequent episodes, radiofrequency ablation is recommended as the first-line treatment in large hospitals that have the conditions to eliminate atrial fibrillation. For patients with persistent or chronic atrial fibrillation, it is difficult to convert atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm with drug therapy, and most patients may require drug control of the ventricular rate and anticoagulation therapy. Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is a new treatment for atrial fibrillation that has been developed in recent years. It is performed by delivering a very thin (2.7 mm diameter) catheter through a vein to specific areas of the heart (usually the connection between the atria and pulmonary veins) where the focal point of atrial fibrillation is located, and then releasing radiofrequency or other energy (e.g., ultrasound) to treat it. A technique. The major advantage of catheter ablation over drug therapy is that if the procedure is successful, atrial fibrillation can be completely eradicated without the need for lifelong antiarrhythmic medication, making it a once-and-for-all treatment. The success rate of atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (1) limited to the current level of medical technology, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) without significant structural heart abnormalities is about 90%; (2) chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) combined with more serious structural heart lesions is about 70%-80%; (3) the above is the success rate after 2-3 ablations, more ablations are generally not recommended; atrial fibrillation catheter ablation procedure method and time 1.Whether or not an operation is required: No operation is required, but 2-3 needle eyes need to be punctured, and the needle eyes are usually chosen in the thigh, shoulder or neck; 2.Whether or not general anesthesia is required: Most general anesthesia is used, and patients have no pain during the operation to achieve painless treatment of atrial fibrillation. 3, surgery time: generally paroxysmal atrial fibrillation about 2-3 hours, chronic atrial fibrillation ranging from 4-7 hours. At present, there are three main types of treatment methods for atrial fibrillation at home and abroad as follows: Drug therapy: requires lifelong administration and frequent monitoring, may have bleeding risk and poor control, in addition to hyper- or hypothyroidism, pulmonary fibrosis, liver function impairment, gastrointestinal reactions, etc., most of which will recur. Catheter ablation treatment, which has been carried out at home and abroad for more than 10 years, is more mature, does not require an incision, only 3-4 needle eyes, and has a higher success rate, which can reach 90% or even more, but requires surgery in an experienced hospital Surgical treatment: mainly minimally invasive labyrinth surgery, which has a higher success rate, but is slightly more traumatic compared to catheter ablation.