All About Ablations
Empowering you with knowledge about heart health. Learn how this procedure can improve your quality of life.
Catheter ablations refer to minimally invasive procedures used to treat various heart rhythm disorders. The process uses targeted energy to change a small part of the heart that is causing the issue.
Our goal is to help you understand this effective treatment option and how it can improve your health and well-being.
An irregular and often rapid heart rate that can cause symptoms like palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue, can even lead to loss of consciousness or heart failure.
Episodes of abnormally fast heart rates that originate from the top heart chambers, usually causing palpitations and dizziness.
A fast heart rhythm originating from the bottom heart chambers, which can be life-threatening if not treated.
A condition where an extra electrical connection in the heart can cause rapid heart rate and in rare cases can be dangerous.
A type of abnormal heart rhythm that causes the top heart chambers to beat very rapidly, leading to a fast pulse and symptoms similar to AF.
Ablations can also treat other types of abnormal heart rhythms not listed above.
Initial consultation, medical tests (ECG, echocardiogram etc.), and detailed discussion of the procedure with cardiologist (electrophysiologist) take place.
Under general or local anaesthesia, catheters are guided to the heart and precise energy (radiofrequency or freezing or pulsed-field energy) is used to target problematic part of the Heart.
Patients are monitored for several hours. Most go home the same day or next, with detailed post-procedure instructions.
Recovery typically involves a couple days of rest and limited activity for a week. Most patients experience significant improvement in their symptoms within weeks, leading to an enhanced quality of life.
Your electrophysiology team of doctors and specialised nurses will provide you with detailed post-procedure care instructions and schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress and ensure a successful outcome.
Like any medical or dental procedures, if ablation is performed under local anaesthesia, most patients experience minimal discomfort during the procedure, which is absent under general anaesthesia. Post-procedure, mild soreness is common and rarely require medication for pain relief.
The duration varies depending on the type and complexity, typically ranging from 1 to 4 hours. Your electrophysiologist will provide a more specific estimate during your consultation.
As with any routine medical procedure, there are some risks varying with type of ablation although newer technologies have greatly minimised risks.
Your electrophysiologist will discuss all potential risks and benefits with you in detail before your procedure.
Ablation has a high success rate for many conditions, significantly reducing burden or symptoms in almost all cases. In some advanced disease states, multiple procedures are sometimes required for the best outcome.
Your electrophysiologist will discuss specific benefits relevant to your case.
Healing of the heart muscles can take upto three months to complete after treatment procedure. The healing process can sometimes trigger abnormal heart rhythms during this period which does not mean the ablation has failed. Your experienced electrophysiologist will guide you about management in reaching settled state.
Successful ablation can reduce or eliminate the need for long-term anti-arrhythmic medications. This is determined on an individual basis, and your electrophysiologist will tailor your individualised treatment plan.
No. Cardioversion can be performed with electrical energy from defibrillator or with medications or using both. It can be used in heart rhythm emergencies or sometimes chosen as a temporary management step.
Most ablations are performed without stopping any existing "blood-thinner" tablets, like Edoxaban, Apixaban, Rivaroxaban, Dabigatran or Warfarin, particularly if you are taking them for stroke or systemic thromboembolism (clot) prevention; your electrophysiology team would guide your about recommendation for your specific case.
Ready to learn if ablation is right for you?
Consult with an electrophysiologist with experience in ablation procedures who can offer advice on your specific heart rhythm problem.