Kateterablaatio

Kateterablaatio, commonly known as catheter ablation, is a medical procedure used to treat certain heart rhythm disorders by destroying small areas of heart tissue that generate or sustain abnormal electrical signals. It is performed by an electrophysiologist and is considered minimally invasive.

During the procedure, thin flexible catheters are inserted through blood vessels, usually in the groin, and guided into the heart. Electrophysiological mapping identifies the precise sites responsible for the abnormal rhythm. Energy is then delivered through the catheters to create scar tissue that disrupts the faulty electrical pathways. The most common energy sources are radiofrequency heat and cryoablation, with other methods such as laser sometimes used. The aim is either to isolate problematic regions (for example, pulmonary veins in atrial fibrillation) or to destroy accessory conduction pathways.

Kateterablaatio is indicated for a range of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardias (such as AV nodal reentrant tachycardia), Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and certain forms of ventricular tachycardia, particularly when medications are ineffective or poorly tolerated. The procedure can often reduce symptoms and the need for antiarrhythmic drugs, and in some cases may cure the arrhythmia after one or more sessions.

Risks are generally low but can include bleeding or infection at the access site, blood clots or stroke, damage to heart tissue or nearby structures, heart block requiring a pacemaker, and, rarely, radiation exposure. Recovery usually involves a short hospital stay and a period of limited activity, with follow-up to assess rhythm status and ongoing anticoagulation decisions when indicated.