Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Catheter Ablation

Definition

Catheter ablation of an irregular heartbeat involves having a tube (a catheter) inserted into the heart through

which electrical energy is sent to either reset the heartbeat or stop the heart from beating so a mechanical pacemaker can be put in place.

Purpose

Irregular heartbeats can occur in healthy people without causing any dangerous symptoms or requiring medical attention. Slight changes in the normal patterns of heartbeats often reset themselves without notice.

But when the heartbeat is greatly disrupted—either because of traumatic injury, disease, hypertension, surgery, or reduced blood flow to the heart caused by blockages in the blood vessels that nourish the heart—the condition must be recognized and treated immediately. Otherwise, it can be fatal.

Various drugs can be used to control and help...