Ablation is a medical procedure to remove or destroy body tissue or to destroy the function of a specific body part. Methods used in ablation procedures include radiofrequency, heat, drugs and surgery, according to the National Cancer Institute. Ablation procedures effectively treat many areas of the body without the invasion of open surgery techniques.
Cardiac Ablation
Cardiac ablation is the procedure used to destroy areas in the heart that are causing a malfunction of the heart's rhythm. Problems treated by cardiac ablation include ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.
Cardiac ablation, performed by cardiologists specifically trained in electrophysiology techniques, requires electrodes to be placed inside the heart to locate the specific source of the rhythm irregularity. Once the source is identified, an impulse of electrical energy is sent via one of the inserted catheter lines to create a scar and disable the source of the irregular rhythm.
Adverse effects of cardiac ablation procedures are rare, but can include damage to the heart valves, heart attack, artery damage and fluid around the heart, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Pulmonary Vein Ablation
The normal pathway for a heartbeat begins at the sinoatrial, or SA, node in the right atrium causing the atria to contract, so blood crosses to the ventricles causing the ventricles to contract. In an abnormal heart rhythm condition such as atrial fibrillation, the SA node doesn't fire correctly, and the electrical impulses are sporadic.
Treatment for atrial fibrillation includes medications for rhythm control and blood thinning. When medications do not control the symptoms, pulmonary vein ablation is an option. The goal of pulmonary vein ablation is to apply an electrical current where the pulmonary veins connect to the left atrium. As scar tissue forms over a few weeks following the procedure, the impulse firing in the pulmonary vein is disconnected, and the SA node can resume rhythm control, reports the Cleveland Clinic.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency, or RF, ablation is a technique used to treat conditions such as varicose veins, back pain, heart rhythm irregularities and cancer. RF ablation is an option for people who are poor candidates for surgery to treat liver cancer, or if conventional treatments are not successful.
The most common RF ablation procedure for the liver is for colon cancer that has metastasized to the liver, reports the Mayo Clinic. RF ablation can be used in conjunction with surgery, such as hepatic artery chemoembolization for large tumors, or to treat recurring tumors. Reported complications for RF ablation are minimal.
