When the heart beats too fast, a series of small electrical impulses may be delivered to the heart muscle to restore a normal heart rate and rhythm. A low energy shock may be delivered at the same time as the heart beat to restore normal heart rhythm. When the heart is beating dangerously fast or irregularly, a higher energy shock may be delivered to the heart muscle to restore a normal rhythm. Many ICDs provide back-up pacing to prevent too slow of a heart rhythm. Catheter ablation During an ablation, high-frequency electrical energy is delivered through a catheter to a small area of tissue inside the heart that causes the abnormal heart rhythm.
Ablation is used to treat most PSVTs, atrial flutter, and some atrial and ventricular tachycardias.
It can also be used to disconnect the electrical pathway between the atria and the ventricles, which may be useful in people with atrial fibrillation. Ablation may be combined with other procedures to achieve optimal treatment. Heart surgery Heart surgery may be needed to correct heart disease that may be causing the arrhythmia. The Maze procedure is a type of surgery used to correct atrial fibrillation. During this procedure, a series of incisions are made in the right and left atria to confine the electrical impulses to defined pathways.