Initial Findings From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Procedures.

Background: The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) AFib Ablation Registry was created to assess real-world prevalence, demographic characteristics, procedural management, and outcomes of patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to characterize the patient, hospital, and physician characteristics and in-hospital outcomes related to AF ablation in the first 5 years of the registry.

Methods: This paper describes the AFib Ablation Registry structure and governance, outcome assessment processes, data quality, and data collection processes.