It can sometimes be used as a first stab at controlling an arrhythmia. Early on is best. Once AF takes hold and comes on more regularly, and for longer bouts of it, the treatment becomes more aggressive, stronger drugs or a mechanical fix. Ablation is the mechanical fix. Ablation, if you aren't aware, is where they put a catheter, a hollow tube, up your femoral vein and into the right atrium. They then insert a cable lancet that pushes through the septum between the two atria so that access can be granted that way, through the septum, to the left atrium where so many arrythmia cases erupt. That cable is withdrawn, leaving a thin sheath sticking through the hole and into which a mapping wire (with five tiny wires spread out like a bird's claw) can be inserted, but also the radio frequency wand to do the actual scarring. The result is a series of burns, lesions, that will continue to grow for a short while, a day or two, but also to heal. The idea is to create a dam of scar tissue, across which the spurious signal entering from the pulmonary vein ostia, cannot cross and run across the inner lining of the left atrium, causing it to contract. The left atrium isn't enervated like your biceps are, or your neck muscles. Instead, an electric wave starts at one side of it, issued from the SA node in the right atrium, and travels across the endothelium, causing a contraction wave. That's the beat. An extra signal issues from the ostia of the pulmonary veins and makes a chaotic time, and timing, of the atrium's contractions, so much so that they'll always out of synch with the ventricles below it.

Cardioversion, as I stated in my previous post, is only an electrical reboot of the heart, hopefully to change it back into 'normal sinus rhythm'. Think CPR for a fallen man, someone runs to get the paddles, they rip open the shirt, energize the device, everyone stand back, paddles to the chest, and POW! It's essentially the same thing, except you're already in the ER.

Thank you for such a detailed explanation. My cardiologist described the catheter ablation that will be done for me - he said they are inserting four catheters - two through each groin areas and then wrapping them around my heart. Can’t remember what the extra catheters are for. I’m waiting 3 to 6 months for an actual date because of our (Ontario) funding - ba-humbug!