Pulmonary Vein Isolation

There are four pulmonary veins in the heart. Their function is to carry blood from the lungs back to the left atrium.

Around each pulmonary vein is a band of muscle. Sometimes these muscles trigger extra electrical signals, causing atrial fibrillation.

When this happens, a pulmonary vein isolation is recommended.

During a pulmonary vein isolation, catheters are threaded through a blood vessel in your leg and guided to your heart. The catheters then destroy the tissue causing the disturbance in order to create scar tissue. This scar tissue blocks the extra electrical signals and returns the heart back to normal rhythm.

Pulmonary vein isolation is performed under local anesthetic with sedation to help you relax.