Approximately 2.5 million Americans experience atrial fibrillation each year. This common heart disorder occurs when electrical signals in the heart become irregular, causing the heart’s upper chamber to beat out of rhythm. Atrial fibrillation requires immediate medical attention because it could lead to a life-threatening stroke.

Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
Atrial fibrillation ablation involves threading a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter into the heart through a blood vessel in the arm, upper thigh, or neck. Live X-ray images are used to carefully guide the catheter into the heart. Several flexible tubes with electrodes on the tips are run through the catheter and placed in different small blood vessels in the heart. Sections of the heart are then mapped to locate abnormal tissue. Energy is applied to destroy targeted tissue that has been identified as causing the irregular heartbeat. Two types of energy that can be used in the procedure are radiofrequency to generate heat or liquid nitrogen to freeze the targeted area of the heart. The resulting scar line then acts as a barrier between affected tissue and the rest of the healthy heart, stopping abnormal electrical signals that cause an irregular heartbeat.

Atrial fibrillation ablation may be a more effective treatment than medications. However, as with any procedure, there are risks associated with atrial fibrillation ablation. For more information about atrial fibrillation and different treatment options, talk with your doctor or visit the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Electrophysiology Lab at Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake
The Electrophysiology Lab provides comprehensive device (pacemakers, defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy) management including implantation, as well as analysis and reprogramming of these devices. The hospital also offers electrophysiology studies to help determine the cause of an abnormal heart rhythm, as well as advanced three dimensional mapping and ablation modalities which is designed to help locate the source of the abnormality and correct it. Click here and learn more about electrophysiology.