Thermal ablative procedures in the treatment of heart arrhythmia

Abstract

There are several pathological conditions producing alterations of the normal heart rhythm. One of the most common, affecting millions, is atrial fibrillation, due to abnormal (ectopic) electrical stimuli frequently originating in the region where pulmonary veins empty into the left atrium. When the disease is drug resistant the remedy is to perform a tissue ablation in those sites, either by delivering radiofrequency power, or by cryoablation. In this chapter we will describe the important role of mathematics in mapping the thermal field around the heat or cold sources, whose knowledge is essential to prevent serious damages to important organs. It will also be a great opportunity to illustrate the birth of electrophysiology and to summarize its fantastic development.