Ablation vs Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation - Pilot Trial

The need for this trial arises out of 1) the rapidly increasing number of pts \> 60 years of age with AF accompanied by symptoms and morbidity, 2) the failure of anti-arrhythmic drug therapy to maintain sinus rhythm and reduce mortality, 3) the rapidly increasing application of radio-frequency catheter ablation without appropriate evidence-based validation, and 4) the expanding impact of AF on health care costs.