Catheter Ablation of SVT

When abnormal heart rhythms occur, they are often the result of abnormal tissue or pathways that conduct incorrect electrical signals within the heart. Sometimes the cause is not so clear, but many times conditions like supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia, can be treated with a procedure called cardiac ablation.  In this procedure, an electrophysiologist performs a cardiac catheterization to deliver radio frequency energy to tissue that is creating the abnormal rhythm. This energy "burns" the tissue creating the abnormal electrical pathway and creates scars that no longer allow abnormal signals to form the arrhythmias.

When cardiac ablation works, it can work very well to restore natural rhythm and prevent arrhythmias, but there are some inherent risks to the procedure:

·   The tip of the catheter and the radio frequency use could ruin normal rhythms in some cases.

·   A pacemaker may be required if the heart no longer gets the signals it needs to beat normally.

·   Bleeding or bruising at the site of catheter insertion can occur.

·  Infection can occur though all steps are taken to avoid this.

·   Very rare complications can include stroke, if the catheter accidentally hits a blood clot and releases this into the blood stream, but this is extremely rare.

People who undergo cardiac ablation may or may not be fully conscious for the procedure.  If the electrophysiologist feels that it is best that the patient be awake, they should be aware there is very little discomfort associated with a catheterization, but there may be a strong pressure sensation when cardiac tissue is actually ablated.

Usually, cardiac ablation takes 1 to 2 hours to complete, but in an atrial fibrillation ablation this time can be extended up to four to six hours in total. Patients typically stay in the hospital overnight so they can closely monitor rhythm and catheter insertion sites for bleeding or infection. A follow up appointment will be required in the ensuing months to make certain that arrhythmias have not recurred.

People may be concerned about the ability for cardiac ablation to destroy heart tissue. The amount of tissue that is ablated is generally small. Statistics can range on general success of the procedure:

·    For supraventricular tachycardia or atrial flutter the success rate of ablation is generally over 95%.

·    For atrial fibrillation the success rate is about 70% as this rhythm is often very challenging to ablate.

·    For rhythms originating in the ventricles the success rate is between 70-80%.