If you have been diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia — a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat — your doctor may recommend a minimally invasive procedure called catheter ablation to improve your condition.
This procedure is performed by an electrophysiologist, a heart doctor specializing in heart rhythms. A tube is guided into your heart to destroy small areas of tissue that are triggering your abnormal heartbeat. Once the tissue is destroyed, the electrical signals that created the arrhythmia can no longer be sent to the rest of the heart.
Catheter ablation may be the right choice if you’ve tried medications and they are not helping to control your heartbeat irregularities or if you are unable to tolerate drug therapy.
Most people can go home the same day or next morning following an ablation. Not all patients have their arrhythmia completely eliminated by the procedure; however, many patients still experience greatly improved rhythm control. After ablation some patients find drug therapy that failed to maintain normal rhythm in the past may be effective once again.
Speak to a heart rhythm specialist to see if ablation is an option for you.