A faster, safer treatment for a common heart rhythm disorder?
Catheter ablation is now a first‑line treatment for people recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Until the late 20th century, medications were the only option to tame the rapid, chaotic heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation (afib). Catheter ablation — a procedure that destroys faulty electrical pathways in the heart — was described as a treatment for afib in 1998 (see illustration). Since then, the technique has greatly improved, thanks to advances in the instruments, imaging techniques, and energy sources used during the procedure (see “A new strategy for zapping away afib: Pulsed field ablation”).
“The increases in safety and effectiveness have transformed ablation into a routine procedure. For many people newly diagnosed with afib, ablation is now the first treatment we offer,” says Dr. Paul Zei, director of the Comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation Program at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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