What is cardiac ablation?
Cardiac ablation is a treatment performed under local anesthesia to create scars in small areas of the heart that may be involved with heart rhythm problems. This procedure can prevent abnormal electrical signals from moving through the heart.
Why is cardiac ablation performed?
Cardiac ablation is performed to treat certain heart rhythm problems that cannot be controlled with medications, such as atrial fibrillation, atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVRNT) or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which can become dangerous if left untreated.
What does cardiac ablation consist of?
First, the skin of the arm, groin or neck is thoroughly cleansed and numbed with an anesthetic to make a small incision. A catheter (small flexible tube) is then inserted through this cut to reach one of the blood vessels in the area and finally the heart, using x-rays to carefully guide it.
Once the catheter is in place, small electrodes connected to monitors are placed in different areas of the heart to find out which area is causing problems.
Once the source of the problem is detected, one of the catheter’s pathways is used to send electrical energy, causing a small scar that stops the heart rhythm problem.
The procedure may take four or more hours. During the process, the heart is closely monitored and the health care provider may ask the patient if he or she is having symptoms, such as dizziness, a brief burning when the medication is injected, or a faster or stronger heartbeat.
Preparing for cardiac ablation
During the days prior to the procedure, you must inform the doctor about the drugs you are taking and if you have fever, flu, a cold, an outbreak of herpes or other pathology.
On the day of the ablation, you should not eat or drink anything from midnight the night before and take the drugs prescribed by the doctor with a small sip of water.
Care after the procedure
After cardiac ablation, you must remain in bed for at least one hour, which may be as long as five or six hours. You may be discharged the same day or the following day depending on the situation, always returning home with a companion.
During the two or three days after the procedure, you may have symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue or moments of too fast or irregular heartbeat, which can be calmed with medications prescribed by the health care provider.
Alternatives to this treatment (other more advanced treatments)
An alternative to this treatment is cryoablation, also known as cooling ablation, because it applies cold to achieve the same results, but in this case it uses a catheter that is easier to use.