Endoscopic laser balloon ablation
Find a heart specialistIf you’ve been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib), our expert cardiac specialists offer minimally invasive, precision treatments to help improve your heart health.
Your doctor might prescribe medication to control your heart rhythm. These may include prescriptions to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure and thyroid disease, medications to control your heart rate and rhythm, and oral anticoagulants to help prevent a stroke.
If medications don’t work, then your doctor may recommend a procedure such as endoscopic laser balloon ablation for atrial fibrillation treatment. Ablation is a treatment typically used with heat or cold to remove small amounts of abnormal tissue. With endoscopic laser balloon ablation, doctors use a laser.
What is endoscopic laser balloon ablation?
Endoscopic laser balloon ablation is a new minimally invasive type of cardiac ablation for patients diagnosed with AFib.
This advanced treatment option allows for shorter procedures because the correct area of the vein can be identified quickly. This nonsurgical AFib treatment offers focused and precise ablation within pulmonary veins. Using an endoscopic balloon, surgeons can see directly into the patient’s heart which enables stable and effective contact and allows for precise treatment within pulmonary veins.
How does endoscopic laser balloon ablation work?
Endoscopic laser ablation uses an endoscope (tube) to insert a laser, a balloon and a camera into the vein that needs to be treated. When it reaches the area to be treated, the balloon is inflated so your doctor can see the affected area clearly. Then the laser is used to treat the vein precisely.
Heart rhythm treatments
AFib treatment can be complex. We’re here to help determine the best course of treatment that will be most successful for you.
To determine whether any kind of ablation might help control your heart rhythm, your doctor will review your medical history and conduct a physical exam. In addition, you may need to get tests such as:
- Electrocardiogram (EKG): EKGs monitor your heart’s electrical activity through electrodes attached to your chest.
- Heart ultrasound: Echocardiograms use sound waves that help create images of your heart.
- Holter monitor: EKG monitor that’s portable and wearable to use at home for a set amount of time.
Personalized treatment plans for heart rhythm disorders
Heart rhythm symptoms often come and go. That can make them challenging to identify and diagnose. That’s why our expert cardiac specialists are here to help you choose the best course of treatment for AFib.
Your doctor might recommend endoscopic laser balloon ablation as a first option to treat AFib or if medications to control your heart rhythm aren’t helping. Endoscopic laser balloon procedures are faster and more accurate than other AFib treatments. Endoscopic laser ablation is easier to use and more precise. There’s also a lower risk of complications.
Advantages of minimally invasive laser balloon therapy
This new treatment option leads to shorter procedures and more accuracy. An endoscopic laser balloon procedure takes about 90 minutes to two hours compared to up to six hours for conventional cardiac ablation treatment. This new procedure also has a higher success rate compared to other types of ablation procedures.
Benefits of endoscopic laser balloon therapy
Endoscopic laser balloon therapy provides many benefits for patients without sacrificing quality or safety.
Benefits of this cutting-edge treatment option include:
- Lower risk of complications
- Shorter procedure times
- Reduced waiting time to schedule procedure
- Higher success rate
Understanding atrial fibrillation treatment with endoscopic laser balloon therapy
You'll see your primary care doctor or cardiologist for personalized guidelines to prepare for endoscopic laser balloon ablation including:
- Refraining from eating or drinking anything eight hours before your procedure
- Receiving instructions on how to get ready for your procedure including any medications you may need to stop taking, such as stop taking blood thinners either the night before or morning of your procedure.
- Getting answers for your questions and concerns
You’ll also need to get lab tests two days prior to your procedure.
You’ll arrive at the hospital two hours before the procedure, which lasts about 90 minutes to two hours. You’ll receive a general anesthetic, so you’ll be asleep before the procedure begins.
After numbing the area in your groin, your doctor will carefully guide the endoscope (tube) through a blood vessel to your heart. Using the camera as a guide, your doctor will inflate the balloon so they can see the area clearly. Then they’ll use the laser to treat the heart tissue that is causing the arrhythmia. The laser procedure is very fast – about three minutes per vein.
After an endoscopic laser balloon procedure, you’ll need bed rest for two to four hours. You might need to stay overnight in the hospital depending on how late in the day your procedure takes place. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home.
You should be able to return to work about a week after the procedure as well as resume normal activities like exercising and driving.
Your doctor will provide a detailed follow-up plan for you to help ensure you have the best possible results. You’ll have a follow-up visit in about a month and AFib monitoring two months after the procedure.
Expert cardiac specialists for laser balloon ablation
People from around eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois choose our hospitals and clinics for our track record of safety and excellence. You can feel confident with our:
- National ranking: U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks our heart program among the best in the country. We’re dedicated to improving and transforming heart care.
- Top team: Our surgeons and electrophysiologists – the doctors who specialize in the heart’s rhythms – have the experience of performing delicate heart procedures and the latest innovative treatments including endoscopic laser ablation. All our doctors are board certified, passing rigorous, voluntary tests of skills and knowledge.
- Sophisticated tools: We have access to the latest tools and techniques, including advanced medical technology such as 4-D ultrasound and 3-D imaging to visualize the heart in incredible detail before surgery, and advanced catheter tools to assist in cardiac ablation surgery as well as minimally invasive procedures.
- Leaders in the field: Our training center features the latest technology and curriculum to help our expert cardiac specialists treat people who have AFib. This experience means our skills in helping people overcome AFib are as up to date as possible.
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