Current and future modalities of catheter ablation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

Catheter ablation has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for a wide variety of cardiac arrhythmias. By destroying the critical zone of conductive tissue responsible for impulse generation or propagation, the arrhythmias may be cured. A variety of modalities of catheter ablation have been tested in the past decade. Initially, high energy direct current shocks delivered through a conventional electrode catheter were used. Now, use of radiofrequency energy as a power supply has resulted in higher efficacy and much improved safety of this technique. New approaches including low energy direct current shock ablation, microwave hyperthermic ablation, and laser photocoagulation are being tested, and may result in further refinement of nonsurgical curative therapy of arrhythmias.