If other treatment methods have been unsuccessful, it is
possible to cure some recurrent, life-threatening arrhythmias
with a surgical procedure called ablation. When abnormal
electrical circuits in the heart generate harmful rhythms, they
can be located and destroyed. Ablation can usually be performed
without making an incision in the chest. Your doctor reaches the
heart by inserting wires and catheters (tiny tubes) into a blood
vessel in the arm or leg. During the procedure, the physician
will try to induce the arrhythmia using small radiofrequency
currents in various places inside your heart. This helps locate
the exact area of malfunction and assures that the right area is
treated. Here’s how it works: In a special room filled with
cardiology and x-ray equipment, you will lie on the table
attached to intravenous lines and heart monitors. A blood vessel
in your arm or groin will be sterilized, through which a wire
used to locate and destroy the abnormal circuits is threaded.
Using x-ray guidance, the cardi