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Specialties & Conditions Cardiac Ablation
Cardiac (heart) ablation is a non-surgical treatment for children who have abnormal heart beats, called arrhythmias. At Lurie Children’s, we perform cardiac ablation on young children and teenagers with great success.
Not all children who have abnormal heart beats need ablation. But for those who need it, it’s a safe and effective way to treat pediatric arrhythmia.
Our electrophysiologists (EPs) — doctors with special training in heart rhythm problems — are the ones who perform cardiac ablation. Lurie Children’s EPs have a great deal of experience with ablation and have the latest technology.
Cardiac ablation helps get rid of heart beats that are too fast, called tachycardia arrhythmias.
These fast heart beats happen because there is a problem with the heart’s electrical system. With ablation, we can eliminate the electrical signals that are causing the arrhythmia. Once the signals are gone, the arrhythmia is gone.
Ablation uses catheter technology. A catheter is a thin tube that goes into a vein and is carefully threaded to the heart. The EP can see the catheter the whole time by using imaging technology.
The EP can pinpoint where the arrhythmia is coming from by doing something called a pacing test. Once the EP finds the exact location, they can use the catheter to either burn or freeze the abnormal circuit. The EP will then do the pacing test again, to make sure the arrhythmia is gone.
EPs most commonly use cardiac ablation to treat children with arrhythmias such as:
We provide world-class care for children with arrhythmia, offering:
To help prepare families for their care with Lurie Children's Heart Center, we have compiled a list of resources about treatment and recovery. Learn how to get ready for an inpatient stay or outpatient visit, and read about our support services for patients and families.
