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Microwave ablationAblation is the use of heat to vaporize abnormal tissue or restore normal functioning. Microwave ablation uses technology similar to that of a microwave oven to produce heat. Another form of ablation uses radiofrequency (radio waves) to produce heat. Aurora physicians were the first in the nation to use microwave ablation to treat atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia (heart rhythm disorder). The technique could eventually be used to treat 80,000 people each year worldwide. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is caused by a "short circuit" of the natural electrical system that begins each heartbeat. Instead of a normal, regular heartbeat, electrical impulses of the heart are chaotic or disorganized. In addition to symptoms that may include dizziness and shortness of breath, AF patients are at high risk of heart failure and stroke. AF is set off by an area in the heart muscle that triggers an abnormal heart beat. New computerized technology has improved the mapping of AF trigger points. A mapping catheter is inserted into the heart and the heart is electrically stimulated to produce the abnormal heart rhythm. The trigger point is thus located for destruction. Microwave ablation is generally performed by making an incision in the chest and inserting a catheter and guiding it under the heart. Microwave energy is focused on the bottom side of the heart and heats from the bottom up. It usually is necessary to heat only one side of the heart to treat atrial fibrillation. Radiofrequency ablation can be done without an incision, but is an older technology and is less efficient than microwave ablation, which is faster, safer and more exact. It can be performed in about 20 minutes on the outside of the heart without connecting the patient to a heart-lung machine. [ Previous page ] |
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