What is ablation?
In a healthy human heart, the rhythm is steady and coordinated. It keeps on slowing down or speeding up as it adapts to the changes taking place in the body. Your heart rate affects how much blood and oxygen is circulating through your body.
It is commonly seen that some people develop abnormal cells in the heart that keep interrupting the electrical signals. In this the heart does not beat how it should, and the person experiences an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
Medicines recommended by the service provider can help control the abnormal tissue that causes the arrhythmia. However, they are not effective for everyone and can cause side effects and also do not address the underlying problem.
In the cardiac ablation procedure, the arrhythmia is corrected by treating the tissue with targeted energy. It restores normal function and eliminates symptoms.
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Thus we can tackle arrhythmias that are difficult to treat with drugs using a minimally invasive, drug-free approach.
Ablation uses a catheter (small tube) placed through a blood vessel into the heart and is also called catheter ablation.
Once the service provider has identified the tissue involved in the heart arrhythmia, he or she targets that area by heating or cooling. This creates tiny scars in your heart (ablation lines), which block arrhythmic electrical signals from passing through nerve pathways.
heart ablation, catheter ablation, afib ablation, heart ablation surgery
What is cardiac ablation?
Cardiac ablation is an intensive procedure performed by an interventional cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in procedures for heart problems. This procedure involves threading a catheter (long flexible wire) through a blood vessel and into your heart. The cardiologist uses electrodes to deliver a safe electrical pulse to areas of your heart to treat irregular heartbeats.
Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for heart palpitations. A catheter is a thin flexible tube that is inserted through a blood vessel into your heart. Catheter ablation is a type of heart ablation procedure used to treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Ablation is a technique used by a heart specialist to strategically destroy abnormal tissue and restore proper function of your heart.
In this procedure, hot or cold energy is used to create scars in your heart tissue where the arrhythmia is occurring. And the scars in it help to block abnormal electrical impulses and prevent abnormal rhythms. Also scars only destroy the tissue associated with the faulty heart pattern. They don’t cause any residual pain or, let’s say, cause problems with your heart function.
When is cardiac ablation required?
Sometimes your heart beats too fast, too slowly, or unevenly. These heart rhythm problems are called arrhythmias and can be treated using cardiac ablation. Arrhythmias are very common in some people, especially in older adults and in people who have diseases that affect their hearts.
People who may see improvement with cardiac ablation include those who:
1) have an arrhythmia that does not respond to medication
2) suffer bad side effects of arrhythmia medicine
3) have a specific type of arrhythmia that responds well to cardiac ablation
4) are at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest or other complications
Cardiac ablation is helpful for people with these specific types of arrhythmias.
1) AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT): Very fast heartbeat due to a short circuit in the heart.
2) Accessory Pathway: Rapid heartbeat due to abnormal electrical pathways connecting the upper and lower chambers of the heart.
3) Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter: An irregular and rapid heartbeat that starts in the two upper chambers of the heart.
4) Ventricular tachycardia: a very rapid and dangerous rhythm that begins in the heart’s two lower chambers
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What happens during cardiac ablation?
Cardiac ablation is performed in a special room also known as an electrophysiology laboratory. The health team includes cardiologists, technicians, nurses and anesthesia providers. The process can usually take three to six hours to complete. It is performed under general anesthesia or under local anesthesia with sedation.
Before you start your anesthesia provider gives you medicine through an intravenous (IV) line that will make you sedated and cause you to fall asleep. And the device monitors your heart’s electrical activity.
The cardiologist cleans and numbs an area of skin on your arm, neck, or groin. Next, the cardiologist threads a series of catheters through a blood vessel into the heart. And they inject a special type of contrast dye to help you see areas of abnormal muscles in your heart. The cardiologist then uses a catheter with electrodes at the tip to direct a burst of radiofrequency energy. This electrical pulse destroys small portions of abnormal heart tissue to correct your irregular heartbeat.
What are the risks involved in cardiac ablation?
Risks usually include bleeding, pain, and infection at the catheter insertion site. More serious complications are rare, but can mainly include:
1) Forming blood clots.
2) Damage to your heart valves or arteries.
3) Fluid buildup around your heart.
4) Having a heart attack.
5) Pericarditis, or inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart.
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What happens after cardiac ablation?
You may feel tired and experience some slight discomfort during the first 48 hours after the test. Follow your doctor’s instructions about wound care, medications, physical activity, and follow-up appointments. Have periodic electrocardiograms and review rhythm strips to monitor heart rhythm.
Some people may have short episodes of irregular heartbeat even after cardiac ablation. This is a normal reaction as the tissue heals, and fades away over time.
The cardiologist will tell you if you need any other procedures, including pacemaker implantation, especially those used to treat complex heart rhythm problems.
What conditions does Catheter Ablation treat?
Catheter ablation treats all types of rapid heart arrhythmias. The cardiologist may suggest catheter ablation if you have an abnormal heart rhythm that is not treated with medication.
The main types of arrhythmias that can be treated with catheter ablation include:
1) Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and atrial flutter:- AFib and atrial flutter cause the upper chambers of your heart to beat irregularly and ineffectively. It quiveres instead of shrinks. This lack of contraction keeps blood from pumping through your heart properly. AFib can cause clots that increase your risk of stroke as blood stagnates in your left atrium.
2) Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT):- People with SVT may experience episodes of fast, irregular heartbeat (up to 310 beats per minute). In this the heart can still pump blood normally, but repeated, or long-lasting, SVT attacks can damage your heart.
3) Ventricular tachycardia (VT):- The lower chambers, called ventricles, begin to beat rapidly and freely, a potentially very dangerous arrhythmia that sometimes leads to cardiac arrest.
If you are at low risk, you may have a cardiologist recommend catheter ablation:
1) Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib):- An ineffective and irregular heartbeat originating in the ventricles (lower heart chambers).
2) Sudden cardiac arrest:- When your heart stops without warning.
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What are the types of catheter ablation procedures?
Catheter ablation uses hot or cold energy to scar the heart tissue. The cardiologist chooses the method he is most comfortable with and that best suits your situation. You will receive sedation or possibly general anesthesia during the procedure and may not feel any extremities hot or cold.
Types of catheter ablation include:
1) Radiofrequency ablation:- Radiofrequency delivers heat energy to the heart tissue.
2) Cryoablation:- Cryoablation uses cold energy to freeze and scar the heart tissue.
How much does it cost to get an ablation?
This procedure typically costs an average of $4,200 – $11,600, a cost that varies by city. You can also use health insurance for all this.
