Procedure helps with atrial fibrillation

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that radiofrequency catheter ablation reduces the symptoms of irregular heartbeat in the long term.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a form of irregular heartbeat that can increase the risk of stroke. It can be controlled by electric shock treatment or by medication. A team at the University of Michigan now shows how it can also be treated by a new procedure which gives long term benefit.

In radiofrequency catheter ablation, short burst of radiation are given to short-circuit the aberrant electrical impulses underlying AF. In a group of 146 patients, 77 underwent the procedure. For a year of follow up, participants used a heart monitor to record their heart rhythm several times a day. In all, 74 per cent of those having the ablation procedure were free of AF symptoms a year afterwards and did not need medication. In the control group, only four per cent of those who had stopped supporting medication were free of AF a year later. What is more, those who had ablation also had a decrease in the left atrium - the upper chamber of the heart - which is often enlarged in AF.

Source
New England Journal of Medicine 2nd March 2006