Which procedure is used to definitively treat atrial flutter?

• A. Pacemaker Implantation
• B. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
• C. Electrical Cardioversion Only
• D. Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

Answer: (D)

Atrial flutter in its typical form is driven by a fixed reentrant circuit in the right atrium, most commonly around the cavotricuspid isthmus. Because the problem is a defined circuit, the most effective way to cure it is to interrupt that circuit with catheter-based ablation. Radiofrequency catheter ablation delivers targeted energy to the cavotricuspid isthmus to create a durable bidirectional block, effectively stopping the reentry and allowing the heart to stay in sinus rhythm. This approach is highly successful, with many patients remaining free of flutter after a single procedure.

Electrical cardioversion can convert flutter to normal rhythm right away, but it doesn’t remove the underlying circuit, so flutter often recurs unless the pathway is ablated. Pacemaker implantation addresses bradycardia or conduction issues, not the flutter itself, and coronary bypass grafting is unrelated to treating atrial flutter.