To survey the treatment options of cardiac electrophysiologists if they suffered from non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, including the selection of catheter ablation methods and the application of related drugs, in order to find the most reasonable treatment method approved by cardiac electrophysiologists themselves.

A network questionnaire was designed, which mainly included the general situation of the physicians participating in the survey (such as gender, age, education, etc.), the treatment strategy of non paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, the choice of catheter ablation, and the choice of treatment strategy after catheter ablation. From June 2021 to July 2021, the questionnaire was shared with many large-scale WeChat groups of cardiac electrophysiologists across the country for investigation and analysis. The respondents are first-line cardiac electrophysiologists engaged in catheter ablation.

A total of 387 questionnaires were recovered,and 195 were valid. 54.9% (107/195) cardiac electrophysiologists chose catheter ablation, 35.9% (70/195) chose catheter ablation strategy after drug therapy failed. 90.9% (161/177) of the interviewees chose radiofrequency ablation. Individual catheter ablation strategies during index ablation procedure included: pulmonary vein electrical isolation 24.9% (44/177); pulmonary vein electrical isolation plus substrate modification under sinus rhythm 22% (39/177); pulmonary vein electrical isolation plus posterior wall box ablation 11.9% (21/177); 2C3L ablation strategy 9.6%(17/177); pulmonary vein electrical isolation plus roof line ablation 7.9% (14/177); pulmonary vein electrical isolation plus rotor ablation 6.8% (12/177). More than 90% respondents (92.8%, 181/195) would take non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC), 6.7% (13/195) warfarin, and only 0.5% (1/195) antiplatelet drug if the anticoagulation indications were determined.

Most of the respondents will choose catheter ablation and NOAC as their treatment strategy if they suffer from non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.