The heart beats as a result of electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract in a coordinated fashion, according to Dr. Scott Wall, a cardiologist with The Heart Center at St. Mark's Hospital. The impulses begin in the right, upper chamber then move through the other chambers in an orderly manner.

"In broad terms, an arrythmia is any derangement in that whole process," Wall said.

Arrhythmias are quite common — the heart beats in an irregular pattern — too slow, too fast. In some cases, arrythmia can be life-threatening. By entering the heart and cauterizing small lesions in areas where the electrical system is not functioning properly, doctors are able to bring the heart rhythm back to a normal rate.

Wall believes stereotaxis is especially promising for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, which will be an option available in the near future when an open irrigated tip catheter becomes available.

"This new procedure allows us to have the potential of a much more advanced approach" he said, " one that addresses the need for more advanced technology to deal with different anatomic variations of the heart and the different electrical variations."

Because the procedure is so new, it is not widely available. The electrophysiology lab at St. Mark's is under construction, and is expected to open June 30.

---

E-mail: amacavinta@desnews.com