Frequently Asked Questions

Assessment by an electrophysiologist is the best way to be sure this is the most appropriate treatment for your particular condition. It is not typically the first line of treatment, but if you think you have atrial fibrillation it is an option to consider.

Catheter ablation is a minimally-invasive technique intended to cure atrial fibrillation without major surgery. Using a specially designed catheter that is threaded through the blood vessels and into the left atrium of the heart, radio frequency energy is applied to the heart muscle to cauterize the “short circuits” in the heart's electrical system that are generating the atrial fibrillation.

First, you will be scheduled for a visit to our clinic, where you will receive educational information. The nurse will provide you with her contact information for any questions you may have after your clinic visit. The nurse will also work with you to prepare for the procedure with the appropriate medical instructions — including which medications to stop or start prior to the procedure. The day of the procedure, you will go into the prep area, sign a consent form, and the doctor and nurse will answer any additional questions you may have. After that, you will be given a gown to wear and then wheeled into the procedure room.

The entire ablation procedure takes 3-4 hours to perform, including the time needed to prepare for the procedure and to remove the catheters from the body.

You will be made as comfortable as possible, but you will not be under general anesthesia. You will be in what is considered "twilight sleep" and you will be dozing off and on. You probably won't remember much from the procedure.

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.

Many patients experience occasional episodes of atrial fibrillation during the first three months after left atrial catheter ablation even though they continue to take medications. This is because it may take three months for the scars to develop and the procedure to take full effect. But for most patients, this post-procedure atrial fibrillation will eventually go away.

After three months, you will have a follow-up appointment, and we will reassess how well you have responded to the treatment. At that point, we will make decisions about continuing your blood thinners and heart rhythm-controlling medicines.

A certain percentage of patients will need to come back for a second procedure. However, that won't be determined until after the 3-month follow-up appointment to allow for sufficient healing time.