Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: A Guide for Adults

Review
In: Comparative Effectiveness Review Summary Guides for Consumers [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2005.
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Excerpt

This guide talks about a procedure for people with A-fib that can put the heart back into normal rhythm. The procedure is called radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Ablation means removing problem areas. During RFA, doctors thread a thin wire through a vein to the heart. Then heat is sent through the wire to problem areas. The heat destroys a small amount of tissue and stops abnormal heart beats.

The information in this guide comes from a government-funded review of research that compares RFA with heart rhythm medicines. Doctors can use each of these treatments to try to put the heart back into normal rhythm.

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