Two approaches to fix irregular heartbeat after cardioversion fails

This trial is testing two different surgical approaches to treat persistent atrial fibrillation (a condition where your heart beats irregularly and too fast) in patients whose hearts did not respond to electrical cardioversion (a shock treatment used to restore normal heartbeat). One approach uses a procedure called pulmonary vein isolation alone, while the other combines that procedure with additional tissue modification. The trial aims to determine which approach works better and has fewer complications.

Atrial fibrillation is becoming more common as people live longer, and it can lead to serious complications like stroke. While pulmonary vein isolation is recommended as a first-line treatment, it only works for about 40–60% of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. This trial exists to find out whether adding extra tissue modification improves success rates without causing unnecessary harm to patients who might have improved with the simpler procedure alone.