The term "ablation" refers to the controlled destruction of abnormal tissue, in this case, using a specially designed electrode that is passed into the heart at the tip of a heart catheter threaded into the area of the heart through the femoral artery of the leg. The treatment is used to help correct heart rate and rhythm disturbances when the source of the problem can be traced to specific, irregular tissues in the heart wall.
Placement of the ablation electrode is directed by the 3-dimensional mapping of the heart’s conduction system and is monitored on the x-ray camera viewing screen. Once the electrode is in position, a low-level radiofrequency energy is transmitted through the catheter to the electrode, causing a coagulation or disintegration of the target tissue.
