Ablation Procedures for Atrial Fibrillation

We perform cardiac ablation procedures to destroy the area of the heart tissue that is causing your erratic heartbeat. You will undergo the procedure in one of our advanced electrophysiology (EP) labs, which has the latest high-resolution imaging equipment.

Ablation Procedures for Atrial Fibrillation

There are many types of ablation procedures for treating AFIB. We will choose the approach that offers you the best outcome, taking into consideration your specific condition and general health.

Learn more about the advanced ablation procedures we perform:

Catheter-Based Minimally Invasive Cryoballoon Ablation

St. Joseph's Hospital was the first hospital in the country to perform a cryoablation in 2011, a day after the procedure received FDA approval. Since then, our electrophysiologists have performed more Cryoballoon Ablation procedures than any other hospital in the U.S. Watch our first cryoballoon patient's story. Read the news story.

Cryoablation is the process of destroying heart tissue using extreme cold. During cryoballoon ablation:

  • We insert a cryoballoon catheter into your heart.
  • Then, we inflate the balloon and fill it with an extremely cold substance.
  • The extreme cold scars and damages the tissue, preventing it from sending the electrical current that causes the AFIB. 

Catheter-Based Pulmonary Vein Isolation

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), also called pulmonary vein ablation (PVA), blocks the irregular electrical impulses causing atrial fibrillation. During PVI we:

  • Insert catheters into your blood vessels.
  • Direct the catheters to precise locations in the heart and "map" the abnormal electrical impulses, using our sophisticated heart-mapping technology.
  • Deliver energy through the catheters to the area of the heart where the abnormal impulses originate.
  • This energy produces a circular scar (ablation) that blocks the erratic electrical impulses and destroys the pathway of the abnormal rhythm. 

Minimally Invasive Surgical Ablation Approach

If you have paroxysmal (occasional) atrial fibrillation, you may be a candidate for this procedure. Minimally invasive surgery uses smaller incisions or existing entryways into the body instead of large abdominal incisions. The goal of this surgery is to:

  • Isolate the pulmonary veins
  • Remove the left atrial appendage (LAA), the area of the heart where blood clots often form

During the procedure, we create scar tissue on the heart to block the abnormal electrical impulses causing the AFIB. This restores your heart's normal rhythm. Benefits of minimally invasive surgery includes:

  • Shorter procedure times
  • Small incisions
  • Quicker recovery 

Contact Us

For more information: (813) 644-4322.