Catheter ablation of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias

The term "supraventricular tachyarrhythmia" summarizes electrophysiological ly different arrhythmias. After detection of the mechanism of the present a rrhythmia, the weak part of the reentrant circuit has to be identified usin g different mapping techniques. The catheter ablation is widely used as foc al ablation (sinus tachycardia, ectopic atrial tachycardia, focal atrial fi brillation) or for interruption of conducting pathways (accessory pathways, AV nodal reentrant tachycardia). A single ablation line should be created in isthmus-dependent atrial flutter or in incisional tachycardias, which is less used now-a-days. Multiple ablation lines are needed for ablation of a trial fibrillation, which is a method investigated in arrhythmia centers on ly. Some arrhythmias are less well understood, not localizable and therefor e not curatively treated with ablation techniques. Newer three-dimensional mapping methods may help in this situation. The challenge at the present ti me is the catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.