

If you have severe pain or shortness of breath, let your care providers know. You may feel some minor discomfort when the catheter is moved into your heart or when the dye is injected and when energy is being delivered. One of the following ablation techniques is used to create small scars in the heart and block the irregular heartbeats: Catheters may be inserted in the groin, shoulder or neck. Damage to the kidneys from contrast dye used during the procedureĭiscuss the risks and benefits of atrial fibrillation ablation with your health care provider to decide whether it's right for you.Ĭatheter insertion points for cardiac ablationĭuring cardiac ablation, catheters are passed through a vein in order to reach the heart.Narrowing of the veins that carry blood between the lungs and heart (pulmonary vein stenosis).Blood clots in the legs or lungs (venous thromboembolism).Slow heart rate that could require a pacemaker to correct.New or worsening irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).Bleeding or infection at the site where the catheters were inserted.Possible atrial fibrillation ablation risks include: A health care provider may recommend this type of ablation if you have A-fib symptoms, including a fast, fluttering heartbeat, that hasn't improved with medication or other treatments. Since the atrioventricular (AV) node doesn't prevent all of these chaotic signals from entering the ventricles, the heart beats faster and irregularly.Ītrial fibrillation ablation is done to reset the heart's rhythm. In atrial fibrillation, electrical signals fire from multiple locations in the atria (typically pulmonary veins), causing them to beat chaotically. The signal then travels through the atria to the atrioventricular (AV) node and passes into the ventricles, causing them to contract and pump out blood. In a typical heart, a tiny cluster of cells at the sinus node sends out an electrical signal.
