Treatment for Arrhythmias and
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

If you have an arrhythmia, Emory Healthcare electrophysiologists will recommend a treatment based on your health, your heart’s condition and your risk for other heart disease and complications.

To treat your arrhythmia, our specialists may suggest:

• Medications that can be used to treat some arrhythmias and prevent episodes of irregular heartbeat.
• Ablation, a procedure that uses X-rays to guide thin, flexible tubes (catheters) through your blood vessels to your heart. Various ablation tools can be used to heat or freeze areas inside the heart which are causing the arrhythmia.
• Cardioversion, which is a procedure in which the electrical system in the heart can be reset to correct an arrhythmia. This is done with a low-grade electrical shock which is done while you are put to sleep for a few minutes. 
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators & Pacemakers, which are devices placed in your chest. They send electrical pulses to give you a steady heartbeat.
• Loop recorders, which are small devices also placed in your chest that record the electrical activity of your heart.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a specific kind of arrhythmia. It is a very fast, irregular heartbeat. If you have this condition, our experts may recommend any of the above treatments. They may also suggest:

• Blood-thinning medications
• Left atrial appendage occlusion, which is a procedure in which a device is placed inside the heart to prevent blood clots from forming.