catheter_ablation_cardiac_arrhythmias_cryoablation
Catheter ablation is an invasive procedure used to remove a faulty electrical pathway from the hearts of those who are prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.The catheters are then advanced towards the heart and high-frequency electrical impulses are used to induce the arrhythmia, and then ablate (destroy) the abnormal tissue that is causing it. Catheter ablation is usually performed by an electrophysiologist (a specially trained cardiologist) in a cath lab.
Catheter ablation of most arrhythmias has an extremely high success rate. For SVT, WPW, and atrial flutter, the success rates are 95-98%. For automatic atrial tachycardias, the success rates are 70-90%. The potential complications include bleeding, blood clots, pericardial tamponade, and heart block, but these risks are very low, ranging from 0.5-3%. Many patients choose catheter ablation because it is a low-risk procedure that may cure their arrhythmia. It also helps them avoid having to take medication for the rest of their lives and allows them to lead a more active life. Together, you and your physician can determine if you are a good candidate for catheter ablation.
Risks of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation include, but are not limited to: stroke, esophageal injury and death. Physicians may recommend catheter ablation because it is an effective way of treating arrhythmias. Most importantly, the procedure is fairly safe, making serious complications extremely rare. When used to treat some types of tachycardia, for example those due to a re-entry circuit or an accessory pathway, success rates for catheter ablation are greater than 90%. Catheter ablation is a treatment option selected by many patients. To a large extent, the chance of success and risk of ablation depends on the arrhythmia being treated. The most common reasons given by patients for choosing ablation are: (1) wanting to get the heart rhythm problem fixed; (2) not wanting to take medications for the rest of their lives; (3) not wanting to go to the ER any more; (4) not wanting to have to worry about their arrhythmia occurring where they cannot easily get to a hospital (for example, traveling overseas and camping in the wilderness).
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