Dabigatran Versus Warfarin Anticoagulation Before and After Catheter Ablation for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Both warfarin and dabigatran have been used for stroke prophylaxis at the time of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Although the risks of thromboembolism and bleeding with warfarin are well established, the relative risk and benefit of dabigatran in this setting are unknown. The purposes of the study are to assess the efficacy of warfarin versus dabigatran in the prevention of stroke and other systemic embolic complications before and after catheter ablation for AF, and to compare the prevalence of serious bleeding complications with the two OAC agents.