Anticoagulation after catheter ablation – for how long?

In selected groups of patients with atrial fibrillation, ablation can lead to an improvement in symptoms and/or prognosis. To avoid complications, anticoagulation before, during and after ablation should be criteria-driven. There is a consensus that periprocedural oral anticoagulation (OAC) is generally recommended regardless of the thromboembolic risk. On the other hand, the longer-term continuation of OAC is controversial. The ALONE-AF study published in 2025 has provided new evidence in this regard.