A frequent type of syncope, termed

vasovagal syncope Reflex syncope is a brief loss of consciousness due to a nervous system, neurologically induced drop in blood pressure and/or a decrease in heart rate. Before an affected person passes out, there may be sweating, a decreased ability to se ...

is originated by intense cardioinhibition, mediated by a sudden

vagal The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fibe ...

reflex, that causes transitory

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

asystole Asystole (New Latin, from Greek privative a "not, without" + ''systolē'' "contraction") is the absence of ventricular contractions in the context of a lethal heart arrhythmia (in contrast to an induced asystole on a cooled patient on a heart-lun ...

and/or transient total

atrioventricular block Atrioventricular block (AV block) is a type of heart block that occurs when the electrical signal traveling from the atria, or the upper chambers of the heart, to ventricles, or the lower chambers of the heart, is impaired. Normally, the sinoatr ...

. It is known as “Vaso-vagal Syncope”, “Neurocardiogenic Syncope” or “Neurally-mediated Reflex Syncope”. Although many different therapies have been tried in this condition, severe and refractory cases have been treated with

pacemaker A pacemaker, also known as an artificial cardiac pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to co ...

implantation despite great controversies about its benefit. The “Cardioneuroablation” is a technique created in the nineties and patented in

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

, aiming to eliminate the cardiac branch of vagal reflex in order to treat the neurocardiogenic syncope without pacemaker implantation. It is performed without

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

, by using

radiofrequency Radio frequency (RF) is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic, electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around to around . This is roughly between the upper ...

catheter ablation Catheter ablation is a procedure that uses radio-frequency energy or other sources to terminate or modify a faulty electrical pathway from sections of the heart of those who are prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation ...

with one-day hospital. The results up to 100 months follow-up are showing better outcome than clinical measures or pacemaker implantation with changing the tilt-test on to normal and by absence of syncope in more than 90% of patients without medications.

References

{{reflist Cardiology