Guide To Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

Atrioventricular Node Ablation

When atrial fibrillation does not respond appropriately to cardioversion, medications, and catheter ablation, patients may need to undergo atrioventricular node ablation when they are not a suitable candidate for the maze procedure. During atrioventricular node ablation, a long thin tube or catheter is inserted to a large vessel in the patient's groin and threaded to the heart. The surgeon identifies their atrioventricular node and uses radiofrequency energy to destroy the small part of the tissue that makes up the node. The atrioventricular node is the pathway that runs between the heart's lower chambers (ventricles) and the upper chambers (atria). The formation of scar tissue and the destruction of the node helps stop the abnormal impulses from the atria to the ventricles. However, the quivering of the atria will still occur after the procedure. Patients who have an atrioventricular node ablation will need a pacemaker installed to maintain the proper contraction of the ventricles.