What is AV Node Reentry?
Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is a type of abnormal heartbeat. It is the most common type of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), accounting for about 60% of all SVTs.
AVNRT is known as a reentrant tachycardia. As with all reentrant SVT, patients with AVNRT have been born with an extra electrical connection in the heart. In AVNRT, the extra connection – and the entire reentrant circuit that produces the arrhythmia – is located within the tiny atrioventricular node (AV node).
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Symptoms of AVNRT
The symptoms of AVNRT are typical for SVT, and generally include a sudden onset of palpitations, lightheadedness, and/or dizziness. Episodes commonly last from a few minutes to several hours.
What are the risks of AVNRT?
AVNRT is usually well tolerated, often occurring in patients with no structural heart disease.
Using antiarrhythmic drugs to prevent recurrent AVNRT is often only moderately effective. However, AVNRT can usually (more than 95% of the time) be cured with ablation therapy, in which the abnormal electrical connection within the AV node is carefully mapped and ablated.
Schedule a Consultation
If you suffer from AV Node Reentry, you may want to consider treatment options. Call 205-510-5000 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Macy C. Smith.
