Cécile Romeyer-Bouchard, MD

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) is a cost-effective approach that has modified the treatment of patients with supraventricular tachycardia. In the Loire-Ardèche-Drôme-Isère-Puy-de-Dôme (LADIP) study, we compared RFA treatment with amiodarone therapy after the first episode of symptomatic atrial flutter. Results showed that RFA should be considered a first-line treatment, especially in elderly patients, because it has a better long-term success rate, the same risk of subsequent atrial fibrillation as amiodarone, and fewer secondary effects compared with amiodarone. Radiofrequency catheter ablation first-line therapy should be recommended in routine clinical practice, even when the atrial flutter is isolated without a previously documented atrial fibrillation episode.