The minimally invasive method of ablation involves inserting a thin tube (catheter) through a blood vessel (in the upper thigh, wrist or arm) and all the way up to the heart. This tube is tipped with equipment to destroy the selected cardiac tissue, usually with radiofrequency energy. This procedure is often performed by a heart specialist called an electrophysiologist. Ablation has become the preferred technique for treating many forms of tachycardia, and the American Heart Association estimates that radiofrequency ablation (the most common type) is used successfully over 90 percent of the time.
