CryoCath© Fact Sheet

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What is an ablation?

Cardiac ablations are performed on people with rapid heart rates or abnormal heart rhythms. In some cases, these arrhythmias can be cured simply by a targeted destruction of the tissue that is causing the abnormal rhythm.

What is the treatment process?

Cardiac ablations are performed through a cardiac catheterization. Long thin wires are threaded through a blood vessel, usually in the leg vein and up into the heart. Electrodes at the tip of the wires help the doctor see the exact location of the faulty tissue. The doctor then uses a specialized catheter wire to destroy the tissue—in a conventional (radiofrequency) ablation by getting extremely hot or in a CryoCath© procedure by getting extremely cold (cryoablation).

What are the benefits of a cryoablation?

Conventional ablations destroyed the tissue it touched by burning it. However, this can be potentially harmful because it could destroy adjacent normal tissue. If adjacent unused tissue is destroyed, the patient will require a pacemaker implant.

Now with cryoablation, doctors are able to freeze the abnormal tissue they are trying to target. They freeze the tissue to -30 degrees Celsius and test to make sure they have the correct tissue and reduce the risk of needing a pacemaker implant.

Specialists at the Gill Heart Institute are trained to utilize this breakthrough procedure technology.

Resources

UK HealthCare Gill Heart Institute
1-877-700-8874
http://www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/Gillheart/index.htm

American Heart Association
1-800-242-8721
www.americanheart.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
301-592-8573
www.nhlbi.org

To make an appointment or find a physician, please call UK HealthCare at 859-257-1000 or toll free 1-800-333-8874.
Copyright © 2007, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose St., Lexington, Kentucky, USA 40536.

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Page last updated Wednesday, February 28, 2007 10:17 AM