From early beginnings to elaborate tools: contribution of German electrophysiology to the interventional treatment of cardiac arrhythmias : The German Cardiac Society welcomes ESC in Munich 2018.

Catheter ablation evolved from the early days of cardiac electrophysiology (EP), in which invasive electrophysiological studies were mainly a tool to find the correct diagnosis and to evaluate the most effective anti-arrhythmic drug for the patient. Today, catheter ablation is the most effective treatment option for patients suffering from supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. The understanding of cardiac arrhythmias and treatment strategies improved because of physicians and scientists from all over the world. The work of German cardiologists led to new achievements in the field of cardiac EP and catheter ablation. In this article, we summarize selective contributions of German EP centres in the field.