Chart 3.

Recommendations for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation for maintenance of sinus rhythm

Recommendations	Class	Level of evidence
Symptomatic patients with paroxysmal AF refractory or intolerant to at least one class I/III AA drug when rhythm control is the strategy of choice	I	A
Symptomatic patients with AF refractory or intolerant to at least one class I or III antiarrhythmic drug	IIa	A
As first therapy in patients with symptomatic, recurrent AF (before  AA drugs), if this is the patient’s preference	IIa	B
Symptomatic patients with long-standing persistent AF (>12 months), refractory or intolerant to at least one class I or III AA drug when rhythm control is the strategy of choice	IIb	B
As first therapy (before class I or III AA drug) in patients with persistent AF when rhythm control is the strategy of choice	IIb	C
Patients that cannot be treated with anticoagulants during or after the catheter ablation procedure	III	C

AF: atrial fibrillation; AA: antiarrhythmic