Clinical follow-up
All patients were administered proton pump inhibitors (PPI) after
ablation, and antiarrhythmic drugs were prescribed after ablation at the
discretion of the attending cardiologist. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms
(ECGs) were recorded at every follow-up or emergency visit due to
symptoms suggesting arrhythmia recurrence, and 24-hour Holter ambulatory
ECG monitoring was performed to detect paroxysmal type arrhythmia
recurrence. Arrhythmia recurrence was defined as any documented atrial
arrhythmia lasting longer than 30 s after an initial 90-day blanking
period. TTE and blood test findings were also evaluated after ablation.