The UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center is dedicated to providing its patients with state of the art care and facilities. At Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the six full-time cardiac electrophysiologists have access to six electrophysiology labs for cardiac ablation and device implantation procedures. The UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center is proud to be one of only four centers in California with a Stereotaxis Magnetic Navigation System.
Stereotaxis utilizes two magnets that generate a low level magnetic navigation field. This magnetic field can be controlled by the physician to direct the movement of the ablation catheter. This allows for fine control and increased stability when targeting cardiac tissue involved in a patient's abnormal heart rhythm.
The standard approach to ablation procedures involves the use of manually operated catheters that must be relatively stiff to allow the physician to accurately steer to the appropriate location using x-ray guidance. The use of magnets to facilitate catheter movement allows for more precise control of catheter position. The Stereotaxis system has been integrated with standard X-ray as well as 3-D mapping technology to allow for real-time assessment of catheter position. As an added benefit, this technology can potentially reduce x-ray exposure for the patient and the physician. It also allows for the use of catheters with soft tips, decreasing the risk of damage to vascular structures and the heart wall.
