On March 18, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center aired actual
footage of a cryoablation procedure done to correct the heart rhythm disorder of
a 46 year old woman. St. Luke's was the first hospital in Wisconsin to perform
this new procedure.
More about cryoablation
Cryoablation is performed when a small catheter is
inserted into the leg and threaded through a vein into the right atrium of the
heart. The catheter is then used to ablate a heart rhythm disorder by freezing
the tiny area of the heart causing the disorder at minus 70 degrees Celsius.
This procedure allows the physician to destroy only the tissue causing the
disorder without damaging surrounding normal heart tissue. This process is
typically done during an electrophysiology procedure in which irregular
heartbeats are "mapped," using computer technology, to find the exact point of
the abnormality.
Historically, irregular heartbeats have been treated
with radiofrequency ablation. Although radiofrequency ablation is usually
successful, cryoablation allows physicians to test a small area of the heart
first to assess the effectiveness of the treatment before applying the
cryoablation technique. This provides for a more precise and effective treatment
for heart rhythm disorders, with fewer complications, and generally allows
patients to avoid the need for a pacemaker long term.
To find a St. Luke's Heart Care physician,
click here or call 1-888-973-2663.
St. Luke's Heart Care 