Ablation therapy and implantable device based approaches for supraventricular arrhythmias

Supraventricular tachycardia is a commonly encountered condition. Atrial fibrillation has a particularly high incidence in the aging population of industrialized nations. While medical therapy was the mainstay of treatment for several decades, improvements in invasive catheter ablation have made this the preferred therapy in many cases. With an impetus provided by the very high incidence, prevalence, and clinical burden of atrial fibrillation, techniques to improve the safety and efficacy of atrial fibrillation ablation have progressed rapidly over the last two decades. This chapter initially outlines supraventricular tachycardia mechanisms, diagnostic testing, and the therapies. It then focuses in depth on emerging technologies in invasive management of atrial fibrillation.