Catheter ablation, also called cardiac ablation, is a nonsurgical treatment for people with an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, in which a long, flexible wire is passed into the heart to eliminate the precise area of the heart causing the arrhythmia.

Radiofrequency ablation uses heat energy to scar or destroy the heart tissue triggering abnormal rhythms, bringing the heart back to normal rhythm. Cryoablation is a similar procedure but employs cold to freeze the heart tissue causing arrhythmia.