The Use of Remote Magnetic Navigation in Catheter Ablation of Heart Arrythmia

Patients with several heart arrythmia can potentially be cured by catheterablation. For some arrythmias 95% of the patients are cured. Also patients with atrial fibrillation are cured by catherablation even though the effect is not as impressive as for other cardiac arrythmias. About 70% of patients with paroxystic and persistant atrial fibrillation are cured. Most of the remaining obtain a reduction of their symptoms. At conventional ablation of atrial fibrillation the catheters are manually navigated to the ideal anatomic position where to isolate the pulmonary veins from the left atrium. Lately it has been possible to navigate the ablationcatheters using 'remote magnetic navigation' using a magnetic based navigation equipment, Stereotaxis. The Heartcentre of Rigshospitalet had this Stereotaxis equipment installed in the autumn of 2006. We will investigate the utility and safety of using this remote magnetic navigation/Stereotaxis.