After Catheter Ablation | Cleveland Clinic (2023)

FAQs

Are there any restrictions after an ablation? ›

Most people can return to their daily activities within a few days after having cardiac ablation. Avoid heavy lifting for about a week.

The ablated (or destroyed) areas of tissue inside your heart may take up to eight weeks to heal. You may still have arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) during the first few weeks after your ablation. During this time, you may need anti-arrhythmic medications or other treatment.

Expect to be tired and out of it, with some chest soreness and discomfort, for a day or two. It is common to experience afib, heart palpitations, and/or an increased heart rate after any heart procedure. That generally subsides once your heart heals, usually within three months.

Initial Follow-Up Appointment

You will be seen by your electrophysiologist at regular intervals. During these appointments, your doctor will check on your symptoms, ask you about any changes in your condition and review the results from the event monitor.

After catheter ablation, you should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for at least three days. Talk with your provider about when it's safe to return to physical activity. After surgical ablation, you'll spend about a week in the hospital.

Avoid exercise except walking for 2 days. You can go for easy walks unless your doctor has told you not to. Avoid strenuous activity for 1 week e.g. jogging, cycling, swimming, or lifting anything over 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). If you had an ablation, you may notice a burning in your chest.

You may also have mild shortness of breath or fatigue. These symptoms are all normal and should subside within 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure. However, please tell your doctor or nurse if your symptoms are prolonged or severe, or if your abnormal heart rhythm reoccurs.

Cardiac ablation is done under general anesthesia. Although the medications used during general anesthesia wear off after a few hours, it is not unusual to notice fatigue and grogginess during the ablation post-op period. Usually, this resolves in the first day or two after the procedure.

The doctor or nurse will cover the opening in your groin where the catheters went in (called the insertion site) with a small dressing. This area should heal and close in 1 to 2 days. Most patients will be able to go home the same day as the procedure.

After a successful catheter ablation, those with lone a-fib are less likely to have a recurrence. But some lone A-Fib patients do have recurrences. (Some studies estimate a 7% chance of recurrence out to five years, though most recurrences occur in the first six to 12 months.)

Is it common to have AFib after ablation? ›

Recurrent AF after catheter ablation occurs in at least 20 to 40% of patients. Repeat ablation is primarily considered for those with symptomatic AF recurrences (often drug-refactory) occurring at least 3 months or more post-ablation.

Recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation remains common. Most recurrences occur in the first 6 months after ablation, but even after 1 year, an annual recurrence rate of 5%–9% has been described.

After an ablation, people typically take a blood thinner for a minimum of two months, says Dr. Ellenbogen. Because of this, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin and Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen), may be limited in order to reduce the risk of bleeding.

The median time from ablation to death was 11.6 days (interquartile range [IQR] 4.2–22.7).

Catheter ablation, which destroys a small area of heart tissue that's causing the problematic beats, is recommended for high-risk patients. Patients typically continue to take blood thinners, regardless of whether the ablation procedure was effective.

If you have pain, take your pain medication about ½ hour before bedtime. Arrange the pillows so you can maintain a comfortable position and decrease muscle strain. Avoid napping too much during the day. Remember to balance activity with rest during recovery from open heart surgery.

Some ablations work straight away. Some ablations, we need to have a blanking period of three months or so to decide whether the treatment has worked.

The procedure always requires an overnight stay. You will not be able to drive for 24 hours. You should also not lift, push or pull anything more than 10 pounds for 3 days following the procedure.

What is catheter ablation, exactly? Catheter ablation is a minimally-invasive technique intended to cure atrial fibrillation without major surgery.

It is common for patients to have some chest pain for 1 or 2 days. It is typically described as chest tightness that gets worse when taking a deep breath. This pain is caused by inflammation from the ablation. It should subside within a few days.

How painful is a heart ablation? ›

Pain and Discomfort

Some patients may report a feeling of tightness in the chest, or feel pain whenever they cough or simply take a very deep breath. Some patients who undergo severe ablation treatment emerge with no chest pain at all. The second source of pain stems from the insertion of the catheter.

It may also cause transient shortness of breath, cough or high blood pressure. Reasons: ablation catheters deliver saline (salt water) with each burn; anesthesia often requires saline infusions to maintain blood pressure, and the heart can be stunned after ablation.

Ablation procedure

Normally 2 needle holes are placed in vein at the top of the right thigh in the groin area through which catheters are passed and positioned in the heart. The catheters are positioned using X-ray, ultrasound, and a computerized 3D mapping system to guide placement.

your groin, your leg should remain still and you should not bend your leg or sit up. doctor, and on their recommendation, you may then cautiously get out of bed. clean the skin with mild soap and water and dry carefully. but you may shower.

There is no cure for persistent atrial fibrillation. But treatment can slow or prevent symptoms, making it easier for you to manage the condition. Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol can also help reduce abnormal heart rhythms and prevent complications.

The basics include not smoking, following a heart-healthy Mediterranean-style diet (high in plant-based foods, fruits and vegetables, and low in saturated fats), being physically active and keeping to a normal weight (as indicated on a body-mass index chart).

Does Ablation Cure AFib? AFib may go away for a long time, but it can return. It's rare, but if you have persistent or chronic AFib, you might need a second ablation within 1 year. If you've had AFib for more than a year, you may need one or more treatments to fix the problem.

In the setting of early recurrences after atrial fibrillation ablation, reconnection of one or more of the previously ablated pulmonary veins is thought to be the culprit and repeat ablations provided incremental benefit for rhythm control.

Early recurrences of atrial fibrillation (ERAF) have been reported in up to 50% of patients within the first 3 months of AF ablation. Although these arrhythmias do not indicate therapy failure, they are associated with a higher AF recurrence rate over the long term.

What happens if you're in AFib for a long time? ›

Untreated AFib can raise your risk for problems like a heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, which could shorten your life expectancy. But treatments and lifestyle changes can help prevent these problems and manage your risks.

Episodes of atrial fibrillation may come and go, or they may be persistent. Although A-fib itself usually isn't life-threatening, it's a serious medical condition that requires proper treatment to prevent stroke.

If it's left untreated, the condition can progress to the persistent or permanent types. Permanent AFib means that your condition is chronic despite treatment and management. The persistent stage of AFib is serious, but it's treatable. Learn what you can do about persistent AFib to help prevent further complications.

Permanent AF occurs in approximately 50% of patients, and paroxysmal and persistent AF in 25% each. AF is frequently associated with cardiac disease and comorbidities.

Atrial Fibrillation Patients May Safely Discontinue Blood Thinners after Successful Ablation.

While patients who have elevated stroke risks may be able to manage symptoms of AFib — such as a racing heartbeat — with other medications or medical procedures, they will still need to take blood thinners to protect against stroke.

After radiofrequency catheter ablation of arrhythmias, patients have to bed rest for 4-6 h to prevent bleeding and hematoma. However, such a rest may cause back pain in the patients.

Your health care provider may recommend AV node ablation if you have atrial fibrillation that hasn't improved with medication or other treatments. It's generally considered the last option because it requires the placement of a pacemaker.

After a successful catheter ablation procedure, most people can return to a normal, active lifestyle and experience improvement in their quality of life.

Catheter ablation is a safe, effective treatment for AFib and certain other arrhythmias. Although rare, the risks of these procedures include: Bleeding, infection, and/or pain where the catheter was inserted. Blood clots (rare), which can travel to the lungs or brain and cause stroke.

What problems can you have after a catheter ablation? ›

In the days after the procedure, you may experience mild symptoms such as an achy chest and discomfort, or bruising in the area where the catheter was inserted. You might also notice skipped heartbeats or irregular heart rhythms. Most people can return to their normal activities within a few days.

Conclusion: Although there is an increased risk of stroke in the immediate post ablation period, late strokes are less common, and the total risk of stroke is similar in patients undergoing ablation compared to matched patients treated with cardioversion.

Cardiac ablation is a procedure that scars tissue in your heart to block irregular electrical signals. It is used to treat heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).

Do not to douche, use tampons, or have sex for 2 to 3 days after an endometrial ablation, or as advised by your health care provider. You may also have other limits on your activity. These may include no strenuous activity or heavy lifting.

Don't drive or do anything strenuous for 24 hours after the procedure. After a day or two, you can return to your normal activities, including bathing or showering. You may still feel soreness, pain or muscle spasms at the treatment site for a few days.

Most women need between two and five days before they feel able to return to work, although this will depend on the type of job you do. If your work is physically demanding, it is advisable to return gradually, doing less physical work or fewer hours for the first couple of days.

You may have period-like cramps for one to three days after an endometrial ablation. You may have light bleeding or pink discharge for a few weeks after. It's usually heaviest on Day 2 and Day 3 after you've had the procedure.

Study Objective. PATSS is a complication that potentially occurs following a global endometrial ablation in women with previous tubal sterilization. PATSS presents as cyclic pelvic pain caused by tubal distention from occult bleeding into the obstructed tubes.

Some discomfort following the procedure is expected, but your pain should not get significantly worse after radiofrequency ablation. If you experience severe pain, your pain gets worse over time, or you have symptoms of an infection, it's important to contact your doctor.

Many have found radiofrequency nerve ablation to be 70-80% effective for those who have had successful nerve blocks. Patients will experience pain relief as soon as ten days after treatment, and it can last anywhere from 9 months to 2 years.

Can you walk after nerve ablation? ›

Because radiofrequency ablation is minimally invasive, you should be able to get up and walk around right after your treatment. We do recommend that you ask a trusted friend or family member to drive you home.

Ablation can relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life in people with atrial fibrillation. But it doesn't work for everyone. If atrial fibrillation happens again after the first ablation, you may choose to have it done a second time. Repeated ablations may have a higher chance of success.