Catheter ablation therapy

Catheter ablation therapy

Focal areas of abnormal electrical activity or strands of abnormal wiring within the heart, key in causing or maintaining rapid arrhythmias can be eradicated or “ablated” by a percutaneous keyhole procedure.

 

Catheter based ablation therapy can now be offered to permanently cure these arrhythmias. Long flexible wires or “catheters” can be introduced from a peripheral blood vessel into the heart and navigated to critical areas responsible for causing cardiac rhythm disorders.

 

Delivery of a focal energy source from the tip of the catheter, either high frequency radiowaves causing heating of tissue or freezing cryoablation can be delivered at the tip of these catheters (Figure 3), causing small discrete (4-5mm) irreversible areas of tissue destruction to render these abnormal areas of electrical activity non functional.

 

The rest of the heart function is unaffected and the lesions created are usually permanent. A curative catheter ablation approach is preferred by many patients who have recurrent symptoms not controlled by drugs or who do not wish to take drugs long term which may have side effects (Figure 4).

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