ABSTRACT
Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is an evolving field,especially for chronic atrial fibrillation.Several approaches have been performed in clinic practice,which include circumferential pulmonary vein ablation/isolation,left atrial linear ablation,CFAE ablation,pulmonary vein denervation or stepwise ablation.However,a standard approach has not been established.The total successful rates vary from 21% to 95%.The investigations in the mechanism of chronic atrial fibrillation and methods of three-dimensional mapping,and the usage of new source and technique of ablation will increase the successful rate,decrease the recurrence rate and procedure time.The long-term result of ablation of chronic atrial fibrillation and its impact on the structure and function of heart need further investigations.