Heart during epicardial ablation

Epicardial ablation is a treatment for irregular heartbeats. During epicardial ablation, heat or cold energy is used to create tiny scars on the outside of the heart. The scars block faulty electrical signals that cause the heart to beat too fast. During the treatment, tubes called catheters are used. The tubes go through the skin on the chest and into the space around the heart, called the pericardial space.