Health information: Ablation for Cardiac Arrhythmias

26 Mart 2011 Cumartesi

Ablation for Cardiac Arrhythmias

What is a cardiac arrhythmia?

A cardiac arrhythmia, also called dysrhythmia, is an irregular or abnormal heart rhythm.

Diagram of heart. The electrical impulse begins at the Sinoatrial (SA) Node, located in the right atrium. The electrical activity spreads through the walls of the atria and causes them to contract. The AV node is located between the atria and the ventricles and acts like a gate that slows the electrical signal before it enters the ventricles. This delay gives the atria time to contract before the ventricles. His-Purkinje Network - this pathway of fibers sends the impulse into the muscular walls of the ventricles and causes them to contract.

What is catheter ablation?

Catheter ablation is a type of treatment for cardiac arrhythmias. During ablation, a doctor inserts a catheter (thin, flexible tube) into the heart. A special machine delivers energy through the catheter to tiny areas of the heart muscle that cause the abnormal heart rhythm. This energy “disconnects” the pathway of the abnormal rhythm.

The ablation procedure also can be used to disconnect the electrical pathway between the upper chambers (atria) and lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. The type of ablation performed depends upon the type of arrhythmia.

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