Cardiac ablation is a medical technique to treat irregular heartbeats by stopping abnormal electrical signals in your heart. In cardiac ablation, doctors use energy (heat or cold) to make tiny scars in the heart.
These scars heal atypical heartbeats. This treatment can both stop and prevent arrhythmias. You might consult the best heart doctor in Siliguri for cardiac ablation.
Arrhythmia is a common cardiac condition in which electrical signals in your heart don’t function in order. You may feel your heartbeats are slow or too fast, causing fluttering, racing, or pounding heartbeats. There are many reasons why you have irregular heartbeats, including:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Coronary artery disease
- Sleep apnea
- Heart attack
- Thyroid disorder
- Changes in the structure of the heart because of cardiomyopathy
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Genetics
- Vigorous exercise
- Smoking, illegal drug use, alcohol
- Congenital heart defects
Treatment for arrhythmia is vital to overall well-being. If you don’t know why you have irregular heartbeats, that might make you more anxious. Visit a primary care physician (general physician), or cardiologist to detect the cause of irregular heartbeats.
Untreated arrhythmias can cause complications, such as blood clots, heart failure, stroke, and sudden cardiac arrest. Here, treatment for arrhythmia can manage the symptoms and treat the underlying cause for a quality of life.
When Doctors May Recommend Cardiac Ablation
Mostly cardiologists treat arrhythmias with cardiac ablation when medications or primary care don’t work.
Yourheart specialist may recommend cardiac ablation if:
- Medicines for an irregular heartbeat fail to treat it.
- Medicines prescribed for heart arrhythmias causeserious side effects.
- Having a high risk of sudden cardiac arrest or suffering from other problems.
Cardiac Ablation – Overview of the Procedure
Let’s understand the procedure of cardiac ablation.
Before the Procedure
Your doctor will give you instructions on how to prepare for cardiac ablation. You may need several tests to examine your cardiovascular health before the procedure.
The doctor may tell you to stop eating or drinking the night before cardiac ablation. There may be some changes required in your medications advised by your doctor. See the best heart doctor in Siliguri for comprehensive cardiovascular care.
Cardiac ablation starts with giving sedation (IV meds) or general anesthesia. This will make you feel relaxed or put you in a sleep-like state.
During the Procedure
Your doctor will insert catheters through your vein, (mostly in the groin) and advance them to your heart using imaging methods (X-ray images). A dye that flows through the tube is called contrast, which helps show the blood vessels clearly on X-ray images.
Once the catheters are in place, your doctor will record your heart’s electrical activities. This information helps your doctor find the location of heart arrhythmia and treat it. When the doctor makes small scars in your heart, your doctor either uses heart (radiofrequency) energy or extreme cold (cryoablation) energy.
The duration of cardiac ablation procedures is 3-6 hours depending on how severe the condition is and the type of procedure. Visit one of the top cardiologists in Siliguri city.
After the Procedure
The medical team will monitor you for a few hours to ensure there are no current complications. Some patients go home on the same day, while others need to spend a night in the hospital after cardiac ablation.
Cardiac Ablation – Knowing the Risks
All medical procedures include risks, and the possible risks of cardiac ablation are:
- Bleeding
- Damaged veins between the lungs and heart
- Infection
- Shortness of breath
- Damaged blood vessels
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Stroke
- Kidney damage from the dye used
- Radiation
- Heart damage
- Heart attack
- Recurrence of arrhythmia
Cardiac Ablation – Recovery
Recovery from cardiac ablation is not the same for everyone. Many people feel immediate comfort after cardiac ablation. Make sure you get enough rest and avoid strenuous activitiesas advised.
Attend follow-up appointments to monitor your heart rhythm in which doctors check if the treatment is working. Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle, and avoid smoking, illicit drug use, and alcohol to keep your heart health in a good state.
Cardiac ablation is an effective treatment choice for irregular heartbeats. Thus, to keep your health alright after cardiac ablation, regular checkups should be a part of your healthcare plan. Meet the top cardiologist in Siliguri to get all-inclusive heart care.