Radio-Frequency Ablation as Treatment for Cardiac Arrhythmias

Abstract

Radio-frequency catheter ablation has replaced antiarrhythmic-drug therapy for the treatment of many types of cardiac arrhythmia. This article reviews the biophysics and results of radio-frequency catheter ablation and the clinical indications for its use.Catheter-ablation procedures are performed in an electrophysiology laboratory. Usually both the diagnosis and the catheter ablation can be accomplished in a single session.¹ Three or four electrode catheters are inserted percutaneously into a femoral, internal jugular, or subclavian vein and positioned within the heart to allow pacing and recording at key sites. The efficacy of catheter ablation depends on the accurate identification of the site of . . .