Uninterrupted Dabigatran as Safe as Warfarin During AF Ablation

As prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and its risk factors rises, the number of individuals undergoing catheter ablation of AF, already one of the most frequently performed procedures in the electrophysiology laboratory, is likely to increase. Anticoagulation during AF ablation must be aggressive enough to mitigate the risk for stroke but controllable enough to limit the risk for major bleeding events such as pericardial tamponade. Research has shown that uninterrupted warfarin use during AF ablation is actually safer than discontinuing warfarin and using a heparin bridge for the procedure. However, data are lacking on the safety of uninterrupted direct-acting oral anticoagulants during AF ablation, and the fear of bleeding complication…