Limitations
This is a retrospective study, with all the limits related to this type of design.
The small sample size of our population likely prevented reaching statistically significant results. This was due to the fact that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike a “normal” year, the majority of elective AF ablation procedures have been canceled to allow the conversion of our Cardiology ward to a COVID-19 ward, with the deployment of cardiologists and electrophysiologists to the care of COVID-19. However, we believe that our results show that the use of dexmedetomidine without anesthesiologist support is feasible and safe, maybe safer than propofol. Our data need confirmation in a larger study.