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Key Points
- Catheter ablation is a medical procedure used to
treat some cardiac
arrhythmias
(irregular heartbeats). It's one of several treatments for arrhythmia.
- Your doctor may recommend catheter ablation:
- To treat your arrhythmia if medicine
doesnt help or if you cant tolerate the medicine.
- If you have certain types of arrhythmia, such
as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or some forms of
atrial
fibrillation.
- If you have abnormal electrical activity in
your heart that increases your risk for ventricular fibrillation (a
life-threatening arrhythmia) and
sudden
cardiac arrest.
- Catheter ablation alone doesnt always
restore a normal heart rhythm. Other treatments may be needed as well. Also,
some people who have the procedure may need to have it done again. This can
happen when the first procedure doesnt fully correct the problem.
- Your doctor can tell you how to prepare for the
procedure.
- Catheter ablation is done in a hospital. Doctors
who do this procedure have special training in cardiac electrophysiology (the
electrical system of the heart) and ablation (destruction) of diseased heart
tissue.
- During the procedure, your doctor uses a long,
thin, flexible tube called an ablation catheter to find the area where abnormal
heartbeats are starting. Then, with the tip of the catheter, the doctor uses
one of several energy forms to find and destroy this tiny area.
- The procedure lasts 3 to 6 hours.
- After the procedure, you will need to lie still
for 4 to 6 hours. Some people are able to go home the same day. Others need to
stay overnight for 1 or more days.
- Recovery is usually quick. Most people return to
normal activity in a few days. Talk to your doctor about signs and symptoms to
watch for. Let your doctor know if you have a large amount of bleeding at the
catheter insertion site or pain, swelling, redness, or other signs of
infection.
- Though few, catheter ablation does have risks.
Some possible complications are bleeding, infection, and pain where the
catheter was inserted. More serious problems are blood clots and puncture of
the heart.
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What Are the Risks
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