How many catheter ablations

Keven Heist and Moussa C. Mansour also reported relevant relationships with industry. All other researchers reported no relevant relationships with industry. This article is a collaboration between MedPage Today and:. Yes, the electrophysiology EP study and catheter ablation procedure are considered safe. As with any procedure, there are potential risks. The risks will be explained by your doctor before the procedure is performed.

The EP study and catheter ablation are performed safely on children and adults, with the youngest patients at 3 months old and the oldest at 97 years old. An EP study and catheter ablation may take three to six hours, depending on your condition. Please let your family and friends know the estimated procedure time so they won't worry. You may feel minor discomfort during the EP and catheter ablation procedures from lying on our X-ray table, from the injection of the local anesthetic or numbing medicine where catheters are placed, or intermittently when doctors induce an abnormal heart rhythm.

To minimize discomfort, you may be given short-acting sedatives, depending on the type of procedure you receive and the type of arrhythmia you have. Ask your doctor about the medications you'll receive. The catheters are placed into two large blood vessels — one in the neck and the other in the groin — that enter the right side of the heart.

The catheter placed in the blood vessel in the neck enters through the top of the heart. The catheter placed in the blood vessel in the groin enters through the bottom of the heart. By inserting the catheters from two directions, your doctor can better maneuver them to locate the source of your abnormal rhythm and destroy it.

When the catheters are removed from the neck and groin areas, a tiny hole that looks like a bug bite will remain. There's no need for stitches and there should be no scar. Will the electrophysiology study and catheter ablation be performed at the same time? Once we identify where your abnormal rhythm is located during the electrophysiology study, we apply radiofrequency energy to the area during the radiofrequency catheter ablation. We wouldn't want to put you through two different procedures when it can all be done at one time.

Discuss the risks and benefits of cardiac ablation with your doctor to understand if this procedure is right for you. Your doctor may order several tests to get more information about your heart condition before your cardiac ablation.

You'll need to stop eating and drinking the night before your procedure. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how or if you should continue any medications before a cardiac ablation. Cardiac ablation is done in the hospital. A specialist will insert an IV into your forearm or hand and give you a medication called a sedative to help you relax. The amount of sedation needed for the procedure depends on your specific arrhythmia and other health conditions.

You may be being fully awake or lightly sedated, or you may be given general anesthesia fully asleep. During cardiac ablation, catheters are passed through a vein in order to reach your heart. Catheters may be inserted in your groin, your shoulder or your neck. The doctor inserts the catheter through a blood vessel into your heart. More than one catheter is often used. The catheters may be inserted through a blood vessel in your groin most common , shoulder or neck less common.

Your doctor may inject dye through the catheter, which helps your blood vessels show up more clearly on X-ray images. Sensors on the tip of the catheter send electrical impulses and record your heart's electricity. Your doctor uses this information to identify the area that is causing your arrhythmia and to decide where to apply the ablation. This part of the procedure is called an electrophysiology EP study.

One of the following ablation techniques is used to create small scars in your heart and block the abnormal heart rhythms:. You may feel some minor discomfort when the catheter is moved into your heart and when energy is being delivered. If you have severe pain or shortness of breath, let your doctor know. Contact your doctor immediately if you have unusual pain or swelling, excessive bleeding or consistent irregularities in your heartbeat.

Depending on the type of arrhythmia being treated, catheter ablation can have a success rate of more than 90 percent, but some people may need to have the procedure again or other treatments for heart arrhythmias. Your doctor may want you to remain on medications to help control your heartbeat. After the catheter ablation, be sure to follow all instructions from your doctor, especially regarding follow-up visits, medication schedules and safe levels of physical activity.

Health Home Treatments, Tests and Therapies. Catheter Ablation Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share on Pinterest Share via Email Print this Page Cardiovascular If you have been diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia — a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat — your doctor may recommend a procedure called catheter ablation to improve your condition.

Facts About Catheter Ablation Also known as a cardiac ablation or radiofrequency ablation, this procedure guides a tube into your heart to destroy small areas of tissue that may be causing your abnormal heartbeat. The Procedure Catheter ablation can take between two and four hours to complete. After the Procedure After the catheter ablation, you will probably need to lie still for two to six hours to decrease the risk of bleeding.