Cardiac Ablation Procedure
Have your cardiac ablation procedure at Salem Hospital
The Heart Center at Salem Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham, offers exceptional care for patients in need of a cardiac ablation procedure. The Heart Center is the region’s only comprehensive cardiac care center, offering angioplasty, cardiac rehabilitation and advanced cardiac surgery, as well as cardiac ablation surgery.
A cardiac ablation procedure is performed by the specialists in our cardiac electrophysiology program, which evaluates and treats patients with fast and slow heart rates, heart palpitations, blackout spells and lightheadedness. In addition to cardiac ablation for atrial fibrillation (AFib) and other arrhythmia issues, our electrophysiologists implant and maintain electronic pacemakers, electronic implantable defibrillators, and perform a full range of electrophysiology testing and treatments.
How does a cardiac ablation procedure work?
Cardiac ablation for AFib and other kinds of arrhythmia is now a viable alternative to long-term medication because it has a success rate of more than 95 percent for many types of arrhythmias.
Recovery after a cardio ablation procedure is typically straightforward, and most people can return to normal activity within a few days.
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How a cardiac ablation procedure is performed.
The cardiac ablation procedure normally takes 3 to 6 hours, during which patients may be sedated. For a more complex ablation procedure general anesthesia is administered. Cardiac ablation is performed in an electrophysiology lab or operating suite where patients can be closely monitored
During the cardiac ablation procedure, doctors insert one or more catheters through incisions in the arm, neck or groin and guide them through blood vessels to the heart. The catheter is equipped with electrodes that are used to stimulate the heart in order to replicate the arrhythmia and locate the tissue that is causing the irregular heartbeat.
Doctors then ablate a small portion of that issue – usually less than one-fifth of an inch. Ablation may be accomplished using mild radio frequency heat energy or using very cold temperatures (cryoablation). After the ablation procedure is finished and the issue is destroyed, the abnormal electrical signals that were the source of the arrhythmia should no longer be a problem.
