A Cardiac Ablation is a procedure where catheters are placed in the heart and radio frequency (RF) energy is delivered through the catheter to abnormal heart tissue that is causing an irregular heartbeat. This neutralizes (ablates) the cardiac cells that are causing an arrhythmia, an abnormal heart rhythm, by creating a block that the electrical impulses can no longer cross.
The treatment is used on abnormal heart tissue, sometimes referred to as 'hot spots', both in the atria or in the pulmonary veins. This restores the normal electrical pathways of your heart and allows it to beat normally again. The procedure is performed by a cardiac specialist called an Electrophysiologist. It is a widely used procedure, proven safe, effective, and long-lasting, although some arrhythmias are more easily treated with catheter ablation than others.