What is cardiac ablation?
Cardiac ablation, also known as catheter ablation, is a surgical procedure that is used to correct heart rhythm problems. The treatment works by using radiofrequency energy to destroy small areas of heart tissue that are causing an irregular or rapid heartbeat. The energy applied to the heart tissue creates scar tissue which blocks the electrical signals and destroys the areas of the heart that have been causing the arrythmia. Cardiac ablation may be recommended for patients with arrythmias when other treatments have been ineffective, or as a first option if the type of arrythmia traditionally responds well to this type of treatment such as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.
What does it do?
In a healthy heart, electrical pulses that make the heart contract follow a specific pathway through the heart. If there is any disruption to that journey, it can trigger an irregular heartbeat known as arrythmia. Cardiac ablation is a minimally invasive surgery that can help treat arrythmia by preventing the electrical impulses that cause an irregular heartbeat. The ablation technique destroys any abnormal tissue and restores proper function to the heart without causing any pain or residual problems. It is commonly used to treat atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia.
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