50 / 64
CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 31, No 3, May/June 2020
158
AFRICA
and safety may perpetuate anticoagulant underutilization in atrial fibril-
lation.
Eur Heart J
2015;
36
(11): 653–656.
27. Lip GY. The role of aspirin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation.
Nat Rev Cardiol
2011;
8
(10): 602–606.
28. January CT, Wann LS, Alpert JS,
et al
. 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline
for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: a report of the
American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task
Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society.
J Am Coll
Cardiol
2014;
64
(21): e1–76.
29. Osmanagic A, Möller S, Osmanagic A, Sheta HM, Vinther KH, Egstrup
K. Effect of early direct current cardioversion on the recurrence of atrial
fibrillation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.
Am J Cardiol
2015;
116
(2): 225–229.
30. Ganesan AN, Shipp NJ, Brooks AG,
et al
. Long-term outcomes of cath-
eter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Am Heart Assoc
2013;
2
(2): e004549.
31. Khan AR, Khan S, Sheikh MA,
et al
. Catheter ablation and antiar-
rhythmic drug therapy as first-or second-line therapy in the management
of atrial fibrillation: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Circ Arrhythm
Electrophysiol
2014;
7
(5): 853–860.
32. Morillo CA, Verma A, Connolly SJ,
et al
. Radiofrequency ablation vs
antiarrhythmic drugs as first-line treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibril-
lation (RAAFT-2): a randomized trial.
J Am Med Assoc
2014;
311
(7):
692–700.
33. Cappato R, Calkins H, Chen SA,
et al
. Updated worldwide survey on
the methods, efficacy and safety of catheter ablation for human atrial
fibrillation.
Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol
2010;
3
(1): 32–38.
34. Stabile G, Tondo C, Curnis A,
et al
. Efficacy of cryoballoon ablation in
patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation without time to pulmonary
vein isolation assessment.
Int J Cardiol
2018;
272
: 118–122.
35. Chen YH, Lu ZY, Xiang Y,
et al
. Cryoablation vs radiofrequency abla-
tion for treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation:a systematic review
and meta-analysis.
Europace
2017;
19
(5): 784–794.
36. Jin ES, Wang PJ. Cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation: a compre-
hensive review and practice guide.
Korean Circ J
2018;
48
(2): 114–123.
37. Akkaya E, Berkowitsch A, Zaltsberg S,
et al
. Second-generation cryob-
alloon ablation as a first-line treatment of symptomatic atrial fibril-
lation: Two-year outcome and predictors of recurrence after a single
procedure.
Int J Cardiol
2018;
259
: 76–81.
38. Blackshear JL, Odell JA. Appendage obliteration to reduce stroke in
cardiac surgical patients with atrial fibrillation.
Ann Thorac Surg
1996;
61
(2): 755–759.
39. Kosturakis R, Price MJ. Current state of left atrial appendage closure.
Curr Cardiol Rep
2018;
20
(6): 42.
40. David R, Holmes JR, Shephal KD,
et al
. Left atrial appendage closure
as an alternative to warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: a
patient-level meta-analysis.
J Am Coll Cardiol
2015;
65
(24): 2614–2623.
41. Koifman E, Lipinski MJ, Escarcega RO,
et al
. Comparison of Watchman
device with new oral anti-coagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation: a
network meta-analysis.
Int J Cardiol
2016;
205
: 17–22.
42. Xu J, Luc JG, Phan K. Atrial fibrillation: review of current treatment
strategies.
J Thorac Dis
2016;
8
(9): E886–E900.
43. Musharbash FN, Schill MR, Sinn LA, et al. Performance of the
Cox-maze IV procedure is associated with improved long-term survival
in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery.
J Thorac
Cardiovasc Surg
2018;
155
(1): 159–170.
44. Henn MC, Lancaster TS, Miller JR,
et al
. Late outcomes after the Cox
maze IV procedure for atrial fibrillation.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
2015;
150
(5): 1168–1176, 1178.e1-2.
45. Van Laar C, Kelder J. The totally thoracoscopic maze procedure for the
treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg
2017;
24
(1): 102–111.