Heart arrhythmia: Atrial Fibrillation Radiofrequency Ablation was the focus of a live webcast, hosted by Hartford Hospital on October 17, 2006 from 6 to 7 p.m. EDT (22:00 UTC).
The most common form of arrhythmia, ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (A-fib) affects some 2 million Americans each year. This interruption in the regular heartbeat impairs the heart's ability to perform effectively, and can result in stroke, congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Origins of the disorder are not clearly understood, but chances of developing it increase with age.When medications and other conventional interventions fail to restore a normal heartbeat, radiofrequency ablation is a leading option.
The electrophysiology experts at Hartford Hospital are skilled at this minimally invasive technique, and, using the hospital's state-of-the-art Bi-Plane Lab, they have achieved excellent results. Watch a replay of this live Internet broadcast as doctors at Hartford Hospital used tiny bursts of radiofrequency energy inserted through catheters to quiet small areas of irregular electrical activity in the heart and stabilize the heartbeat.
Jeffrey Kluger, MD, FACC
Christopher Clyne, MD
Director of Interventional Electrophysiology
Ravi Yarlagadda, MD
