Catheter-based ablation techniques can be used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Rapid electrical impulses begin in the upper chambers of the heart. The goal of ablation procedures is to isolate and eliminate these areas of rapid impulses.

Years of research have shown that the areas most responsible for these impulses are around the pulmonary veins that drain blood from the lungs into the heart. By isolating these regions with radiofrequency or cryoablation, episodes of atrial fibrillation can be stopped or significantly decreased.

With extensive experience in the field, our heart rhythm doctors specialize in treating complex cases in which previous ablation procedures have failed. One of our heart rhythm specialists will perform a detailed evaluation before deciding the treatment strategy recommended for a specific case.

Radiofrequency and cryoablation may be used to destroy any small, abnormal area of the ventricles (bottom chambers of the heart) that produces a fast/abnormal rhythm. When catheter ablation is performed targeting the origin of these arrhythmias, it can eliminate or reduce the frequency of this abnormal rhythm.

This can be successful for patients with a history of heart attacks and scarred areas of the heart that predispose them to ventricular tachycardia. This also is used with high success rates for patients with normal hearts who have these ventricular rhythm disturbances not due to scarring in the heart (idiopathic ventricular tachycardia).

Our team of specialists uses state-of-the-art technologies to treat complex, recurrent cases for which prior therapies have failed. After a careful evaluation, a decision is made about the therapeutic modality recommended for a given case. Given that most ventricular tachycardia related to scarring in the heart occurs in patients with heart failure or other major health conditions, catheter ablation for these disorders is one of the most challenging and complex for the physician.

Our team strives to provide safe and effective techniques while minimizing the risk to the patient—providing excellent care, from planning the procedure to follow-up defibrillator checks after the procedure.

Supraventricular tachycardias are a group of heart rhythm disorders characterized by fast heartbeats arising from the upper chambers of the heart. Catheter ablation can be used to treat recurring episodes of supraventricular tachycardia.

Catheter ablation focuses on cauterizing abnormal electric impulses, and can eliminate and cure episodes of supraventricular tachycardia and the need for further medication. This is a highly effective treatment for different forms of supraventricular tachycardia, including atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia, atrial tachycardia and atrial flutter.

Our heart rhythm specialists have been involved in the development and study of treatment modalities for supraventricular tachycardia that are now used worldwide.

Catheter ablation is performed in the hospital. Before your procedure begins, a specialist will insert an intravenous line into your forearm or hand, and you'll be given a sedative to help you relax. What type of anesthesia you receive depends on your particular situation. After your sedative takes effect, your doctor or another specialist will numb a small area near a vein on your groin, neck or forearm. Your doctor will insert a needle into the vein and place a tube (sheath) through the needle.

Your doctor will thread catheters through the sheath and guide them to several places within your heart. Your doctor may inject dye into the catheter, which helps your care team see your blood vessels and heart using X-ray imaging. The catheters have electrodes at the tips that can be used to send electrical impulses to your heart and record your heart's electrical activity.

This process of using imaging and other tests to determine what's causing your arrhythmia is called an electrophysiology (EP) study. An EP study is usually done before cardiac ablation in order to determine the most effective way to treat your arrhythmia.

Once the abnormal heart tissue that's causing the arrhythmia is identified, your doctor will aim the catheter tips at the area of abnormal heart tissue. Energy will travel through the catheter tips to create a scar or destroy the tissue that triggers your arrhythmia.

In some cases, ablation blocks the electrical signals traveling through your heart to stop the abnormal rhythm and allow signals to travel over a normal pathway instead.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra heartbeats that begin in one of your heart's two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt your regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing you to feel a fluttering or a skipped beat in your chest.

Premature ventricular contractions are common — they occur in many people.

For PVCs that don't respond to lifestyle changes or medications, your doctor might recommend ablation therapy. This procedure uses radiofrequency energy to destroy the area of heart tissue that is causing your irregular contractions.