AV node ablation
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AV node ablation
How the heart's electrical system works
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In a normal heart, electrical impulses precisely pace the rhythm at which the heart contracts and relaxes. The sinoatrial (SA) node triggers the electrical impulse, causing the upper chambers (atria) to contract. The signal travels through the atrioventricular (AV) node to the atrioventricular bundle, which divides into the Purkinje fibers that carry the signal and cause the lower chambers (ventricles) to contract. The electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) above shows this normal electrical activity.
Credits
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist |
| Last Updated | January 18, 2007 |
| Last updated: | January 18, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Laurence Epstein, MD - Cardiac Electrophysiologist |
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