Cardiac Ablation Procedures

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Cardiac ablation is used to treat certain heart rhythm problems that medicines are not controlling. These problems may be dangerous if they are not treated.

Common symptoms of heart rhythm problems may include:

• Chest pain
• Fainting
• Slow or fast heartbeat (palpitations)
• Light-headedness, dizziness
• Paleness
• Shortness of breath
• Skipping beats - changes in the pattern of the pulse
• Sweating

Some heart rhythm problems are:

• AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
• Accessory pathway, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
• Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
• Ventricular tachycardia

Risks

Catheter ablation is generally safe. Talk with your provider about these rare complications:

• Bleeding or blood pooling where the catheter is inserted
• Blood clot that goes to arteries in your leg, heart, or brain
• Damage to the artery where the catheter is inserted
• Damage to heart valves
• Damage to the coronary arteries (blood vessels that carry blood to your heart)
• Esophageal atrial fistula (a connection that forms between your esophagus and part of your heart)
• Fluid around the heart (cardiac tamponade)
• Heart attack
• Vagal or phrenic nerve damage

Before the Procedure

Always tell your provider what drugs you are taking, even drugs or herbs you bought without a prescription.

During the days before the procedure:

• Ask your provider which drugs you should still take on the day of the surgery.
• Tell your provider if you are taking aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), prasugrel (Effient), ticagrelor (Brilinta), warfarin (Coumadin), or another blood thinner.
• If you smoke, stop before the procedure. Ask your provider for help if you need it.
• Tell your provider if you have a cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout, or other illness.

On the day of the procedure:

• You will most often be asked not to drink or eat anything after midnight the night before your procedure.
• Take the drugs your provider has told you to take with a small sip of water.
• You will be told when to arrive at the hospital.

After the Procedure

Pressure to reduce bleeding is put on the area where the catheters were inserted into your body. You will be kept in bed for at least 1 hour. You may need to stay in bed for up to 5 or 6 hours. Your heart rhythm will be checked during this time.

Your doctor will decide whether you can go home on the same day, or if you will need to stay in the hospital overnight for continued heart monitoring. You will need someone to drive you home after your procedure.

For 2 or 3 days after your procedure, you may have these symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Achy feeling in your chest
• Skipped heartbeats, or times when your heartbeat is very fast or irregular.

Your doctor may keep you on your medicines, or give you new ones that help control your heart rhythm.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Success rates are different depending on what type of heart rhythm problem is being treated.

References

Calkins H, Brugada J, Packer DL, Cappato R, Chen SA, Crijns HJ, et al. (HRS/EHRA/ECAS expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation: recommendations for personnel, policy, procedures and follow-up. A report of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Task Force on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. Heart Rhythm. 2007:4(6):816-61.

Lustgarten DL. History of cardiac cryosurgery and cryoablation. In: Bredikis AJ, Wilber DJ, eds. Cryoablation of Cardiac Arrhythmias. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 1.

Miller JM, Zipes DP. Therapy for cardiac arrhythmias. In: Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 35.