Catheter Ablation for Patients with Cardiac Arrhythmias

Catheter ablative techniques have recently been introduced as therapy for patients with drug-resistant cardiac arrhythmias. These techniques include delivery of high-energy direct-current shocks in order to electrocoagulate the atrioventricular junction for those with supraventricular arrhythmias. This technique, if successful, results in arrhythmia control but induces chronic pacemaker dependency. The evidence, to date, suggests that 90% of these patients are improved after attempted atrioventricular junctional ablation. Catheter ablative procedures have been used for attempted ablation of accessory pathways and has been shown to be especially effective for those with posteroseptal accessory pathways. More recently, techniques for ablation of ventricular tachycardia foci have been introduced but experience with this procedure is too limited to allow for definitive recommendations.