Clinical follow-up
All patients were administered proton pump inhibitors (PPI) after ablation, and antiarrhythmic drugs were prescribed after ablation at the discretion of the attending cardiologist. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded at every follow-up or emergency visit due to symptoms suggesting arrhythmia recurrence, and 24-hour Holter ambulatory ECG monitoring was performed to detect paroxysmal type arrhythmia recurrence. Arrhythmia recurrence was defined as any documented atrial arrhythmia lasting longer than 30 s after an initial 90-day blanking period. TTE and blood test findings were also evaluated after ablation.