News Package (VIDEO) Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center This video is under embargo. Please login to access this video. Caption Atrial fibrillation, or AFib , is the most common heart rhythm problem, affecting millions of Americans and greatly increasing their risk of stroke and heart failure. For some with AFib, a catheter ablation is used to burn or freeze the precise area causing the problem to restore a normal heart rhythm. While this method is effective in treating AFib, the energy from the catheter tip can cause serious damage to the adjacent esophagus, which is only a few millimeters away. It’s an injury that can be life threatening, so an electrophysiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center helped develop a new device that gently diverts the esophagus out of harm’s way, greatly improving safety. Credit The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Usage Restrictions All multimedia is available for free and unrestricted media use with courtesy to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.