Cardiac Ablation

At Providence, we’re dedicated to helping your heart health get back on track. Arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, that have not been treated successfully with medication can potentially be treated with a cardiac ablation procedure.

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Why Choose Us for Cardiac Ablation?

Our world-class cardiac electrophysiologists – cardiologists who specialize in the treatment of heart rhythm issues – offer the most effective, minimally invasive cardiac ablation procedures and innovative treatments that provide the best outcomes for your long-term health.

Doctor showing test results to smiling patient

We are the national leaders in PFA (pulsed field ablation), the newest treatment approved by the FDA for AFib (atrial fibrillation), an irregularly fast heartbeat. PFA is safer, quicker and more effective compared to standard ablation procedures. Our leadership in PFA and other new cardiac treatments helps us provide better care – and a better life – for you and your loved ones.

Our cardiologists understand that no two patients are alike. Your care team will get to know you personally and develop an individualized care plan that addresses your immediate health needs, overall lifestyle and quality of life. You and your loved ones help design this care plan, and your care team supports you throughout your treatment and recovery.

Our board-certified cardiac electrophysiologists are experts at performing cardiac ablations. Your care team may also include interventional cardiologists, heart failure specialists and imaging specialists tailored to your specific cardiac health care needs. And your care doesn’t end after the procedure. Our dietitians help you make heart-healthy food choices, and our physical therapists help you safely manage your heart condition with exercise, so that you can keep living life to its fullest.

Conditions Treated with Cardiac Ablation

Cardiac ablation is the best treatment option for certain arrhythmias that are not successfully treated with medication. We treat all types of arrhythmias with cardiac ablation, including:

  • AFib (atrial fibrillation)
  • Atrial flutter
  • PVCs (premature ventricular contractions)
  • SVT (supraventricular tachycardia)
  • VT (ventricular tachycardia)

About Cardiac Ablation

There are several types of cardiac ablation techniques. During a typical procedure, a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into your leg or neck and guided towards your heart. The tips of the catheters use radiofrequency energy (creating heat), liquid nitrogen (creating cooling), or pulsed electrical fields (see below) to destroy the cells causing your irregular heartbeat.

The ablation procedure itself is minimally invasive and performed under mild sedation and local anesthesia. Patients who undergo an ablation procedure often leave the hospital the same day.

Pulsed field ablation for AFib

Providence also performs PFA (pulsed field ablation), the newest cardiac ablation procedure for AFib. PFA is a new option for first-time ablation candidates, or for patients who have not found success with other treatments, including prior ablation. This innovative technique uses pulsed electrical fields to selectively disable the abnormal heart cells causing arrhythmias.

Our cardiac experts are PFA leaders because this procedure provides groundbreaking advantages for our patients:

  • Shorter treatment time. PFA takes about 30-45 minutes, compared to one or two hours for standard ablations.
  • Better efficacy. PFA is safer and more effective at stopping AFib because the procedure better isolates specific heart cells.
  • Faster recovery times. PFA does not damage surrounding tissue, so patients recover more quickly. And because the procedure is quicker, this means less time under anesthesia.
  • Shorter wait times. Because the procedure is much shorter than standard ablations, we can schedule patients undergoing PFA more frequently.
Woman outdoors sitting and smiling

Benefits of Cardiac Ablation

Cardiac ablation can reduce arrhythmia symptoms, including:

  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Heart palpitations
  • Shortness of breath

With fewer or reduced symptoms, many of our patients can increase their physical activity and enjoy a better quality of life. Cardiac ablation can also help lessen the risk of stroke, heart attack or heart failure and potentially help you live longer.

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How PFA Helps Our AFib Patients

“It’s a gamechanger. This technology allows us to do these procedures safely, more quickly and with less anesthesia. Most patients go home after just a few hours.”

Shephal K. Doshi, M.D., FACC
Electrophysiologist and Executive Director, Providence Saint John’s Heart and Vascular Institute

Rob Sears, age 79, suffered from atrial fibrillation for eight years. After two failed AFib treatments, he traveled to Santa Monica from his home in Western Washington to undergo PFA. As he awakened from the procedure, Rob already knew it had worked.

“To stand up and not feel dizzy is new to me,” says Rob, an avid hiker who now plans to get back on the trail. Read Rob's story

Rob Sears
Providence Patient