What is AF Ablation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition where the heart beats irregularly. The heart beats in an abnormal rhythm, which can cause blood to pool and clot. One of the ways to treat this condition is through a surgical procedure called AF ablation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is the process of destroying the cells in a specific area of the heart that are causing an arrhythmia.

AF ablation is either done with catheter ablation, surgical ablation, and endoscopic ablation. During catheter ablation, the surgeon inserts a catheter through a small incision on the chest or groin. The catheter is then passed into the heart and electrical impulses are used to destroy tissue in the heart which is causing AF.

Surgical ablation involves making an incision in the chest and destroying tissue with an electrosurgical probe.

Endoscopic ablations are done with a thin tube that has a light and camera attached to it. The doctor threads this up through the esophagus and into the heart where it destroys tissue.

In this video, Dr Regianld Liew talks about AF Ablation, what it treats, and how it works.