Tests and procedures
EP study and radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
Finding the source of an arrhythmia through a catheter and treating that small area: in supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA, ablation) is a method of treating, with heat through a catheter, the small area that is causing a heart rhythm disorder.
First an electrophysiology study (EP study) finds the source of the arrhythmia, then a small scar is created at that spot.
How the procedure works
First the source of the arrhythmia is found, then this small area is treated.
- CatheterIt is passed to the heart through a blood vessel.
- Catheter tipIt treats the source with heat.
- Small scarIt forms where the source of the arrhythmia was.
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Which arrhythmias it is used for
- supraventricular tachycardia: AV nodal tachycardia, an accessory pathway (including WPW);
- atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter;
- some ventricular arrhythmias.
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How the procedure goes
A sedative is given, the skin in the groin or neck is numbed, and the catheter is passed through a blood vessel to the heart under X-ray guidance. The duration depends on the type of arrhythmia and may be several hours. Afterwards you need to lie down for at least 1 hour, sometimes up to 5–6 hours, and you go home the same day or the next day.
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Results and risks
Regular supraventricular tachycardia
95–99 % in the Schilling 2002 review, 92–99 % immediately after the procedure in a 2007 single-center series (old or single-center data).
Atrial fibrillation
from 50 % to about 80 % in a leaflet from Worcestershire hospital in Britain; about 30 % of people need a second ablation.
The result depends on the type of arrhythmia. The figures below are not this clinic’s results but published examples.
Rare but serious complications: bleeding, a blood clot, stroke, blood collecting around the heart, heart block, a fistula between the esophagus and the atrium, nerve injury and, very rarely, death (up to 0.1 % for atrial fibrillation ablation in the Worcestershire leaflet). The doctor gives a personal assessment.
After atrial fibrillation ablation, an anticoagulant (a blood-thinning medicine) is continued for at least 2 months according to the 2024 ESC guidelines, and the further decision depends not on the current rhythm but on the risk of stroke. Do not stop it on your own.
The exact procedure, price and preparation are agreed with the doctor or administrator at the appointment.
Read more
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA): when it is needed, how it is done, risks
- Invasive EP study: how is an electrophysiology study of the heart done?
- Your heart suddenly races and then stops on its own: what is it, and is there a permanent solution?
- Atrial fibrillation: why do doctors talk about stroke, and what does treatment look like?
Other services in this area
All servicesECG
A test that records the heart’s electrical activity.
Learn moreHolter monitoring
Continuous recording of the heart rhythm over 24 hours.
Learn moreInvasive electrophysiology study (EP study)
A study of the electrical signals inside the heart: a way to find where an arrhythmia starts and to choose treatment.
Learn more
Book this service
EP study and radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
+998 97 490 86 75Specialist
Sherzod Nasirovich Sabirov