Types of Catheter Ablation

Our arrhythmia team has extensive experience in advanced catheter ablation procedures to treat different types of arrhythmia and certain structural heart diseases. Our goal is to improve your health by reducing your symptoms and controlling arrhythmias.

Atrioventricular (AV) node ablation

If you have AFib or another fast arrhythmia that involves the atria (upper chambers of the heart), medication may not be enough to manage the irregular heartbeat. AV node (or AV junction) ablation prevents the atria from controlling the pumping action of the lower chambers (ventricles).

In this procedure, the doctor targets the AV node, a nerve that transmits electrical signals from the atria to the ventricles. Because AV node ablation permanently stops the electrical connection, you must have a pacemaker implanted to regulate your heartbeat. For this reason, we use this option only when no other treatment methods have been successful.

Cryoablation

In this catheter-based procedure, our doctors use extreme cold to freeze and destroy heart tissue to correct the arrhythmia. Cryoablation causes less damage to surrounding tissue than some other types of ablation. That makes this procedure particularly helpful for people who have arrhythmias that are close to other sensitive structures in the heart.

At Stanford, our team has participated in research and clinical trials in catheter cryoablation since the beginning. Our arrhythmia director, Paul J. Wang, MD, co-invented cryoballoon ablation, which uses a special balloon catheter to treat advanced AFib. Learn more about cryoablation for arrhythmia.

Epicardial ablation

Some types of arrhythmias originate on the outside of the heart and cannot be treated with standard catheter ablation. Our doctors use epicardial ablation to treat tissue in the epicardium, a membrane surrounding the heart.

In this procedure, our doctors access the outside of the heart using a catheter inserted through a small incision under the breastbone. Learn more about epicardial ablation.

FIRM ablation

Most arrhythmias begin in a few commonly known areas of the heart, such as where the pulmonary veins (veins bringing oxygen-rich blood from the lungs) enter the left atrium. In many people with persistent AFib, the irregular heart rhythms can also begin in other areas. A challenge for doctors has been to quickly and accurately identify those areas, so that they can apply ablation treatment more precisely.

One of our electrophysiologists, Sanjiv Narayan, MD, developed a mapping technology known as FIRM (focal impulse and rotor modulation). Dr. Narayan and his team use the software and tools to pinpoint all the locations where arrhythmias begin.

FIRM helps make cardiac ablation more accurate, which means people may not need repeat treatment to manage symptoms. Learn more about FIRM ablation.

Radiofrequency ablation

This is the most common type of cardiac ablation, using heat generated by high-frequency radio waves to treat arrhythmia. Radiofrequency (RF) ablation cauterizes (burns) the heart tissue involved in arrhythmias to block abnormal electrical activity, restoring a regular heartbeat. Learn more about radiofrequency ablation for arrhythmia at Stanford.

Ventricular tachycardia ablation

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is an arrhythmia that occurs in the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). VT is a fast, but regular, heartbeat. If left untreated, VT can lead to ventricular fibrillation (VFib), a fast, erratic arrhythmia that is life threatening.

At Stanford, our electrophysiologists are developing advanced methods for mapping the areas of heart tissue for ablation. We can perform VT ablation on the inside and outside of the heart to stop VT and prevent VFib.