UCSF Health is one of the few medical centers in California using an advanced technology, called magnetic navigation, to perform radiofrequency catheter ablations, a technique pioneered at UCSF to treat arrhythmia.
Magnetic Navigation
The technology enables doctors to correct arrhythmias with increased precision and fewer complications.
Procedure
In traditional interventional cardiac procedures, doctors manually insert and maneuver instruments, such as catheters and guidewires. The magnetic navigation system is computer-controlled and uses magnets to direct instruments through veins into the heart and coronary arteries.
Doctors digitally control movement of the instruments from a control room outside the operating suite, using monitors and point-and-click navigation tools and other instruments. Doctors move catheters remotely using a 3D model of the patient's heart.
Benefits
The benefits of magnetic navigation include:
- Approach is quicker and with few complications
- Magnets move devices more precisely, as little as 1 millimeter at a time and 360 degrees in any direction
- Reduced radiation exposure to both doctor and patient
UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.
