what is a heart ablation

Heart ablation, also called cardiac ablation or catheter ablation, is a minimally invasive medical procedure used to treat irregular heartbeats known as arrhythmias. The procedure involves using heat or cold energy to destroy or scar a small area of heart tissue that is responsible for causing abnormal electrical signals leading to the irregular heartbeat. By targeting and disrupting these faulty electrical pathways in the heart, ablation helps restore the heart’s normal rhythm. The process typically involves inserting thin, flexible tubes called catheters through blood vessels to the heart. Sensors on the catheter help the doctor locate the problematic tissue. Once identified, heat (radiofrequency ablation) or extreme cold (cryoablation) is applied to the tissue to stop the irregular electrical signals. Heart ablation is often recommended when medications fail to effectively control arrhythmias or cause undesirable side effects. It is commonly used to treat arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and others. The procedure is less invasive than traditional open-heart surgery, generally involves local anesthesia with sedation, and is associated with less discomfort and shorter recovery time. It can take a few hours depending on the specific condition and complexity. In summary, heart ablation is a minimally invasive treatment to destroy abnormal heart tissue causing irregular heart rhythms, thereby helping to restore a normal heartbeat and improve symptoms such as fainting, shortness of breath, or palpitations. This explanation is based on medical sources and information from leading institutions like the Mayo Clinic, Penn Medicine, and Cleveland Clinic.