What is an Ablation?

An ablation is a special technique designed to cure certain arrhythmias. During an EP test, it is possible to find areas of the heart that are causing rapid or irregular heart rhythms. Some arrhythmias are caused by extra groups of cells that can cause “short circuits” in the heart. During an EP test, these area can be mapped out. During an ablation, a special catheter is placed into the heart which is used to burn away this region. If successful, an ablation can actually cure certain arrhythmias. Ablations are most successful in patients with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW), and atrial flutter. However, ablations may also be used to help patients with other, more complex arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.

An ablation may be performed at the time of your EP study, or at another time. Sometimes it is necessary to do the ablation at another time in order to set-up specialized equipment which may be necessary for the ablation. Your doctor will discuss this with you in detail.

In general, an ablation has a 90% success rate. This means that most ablations result in a cure of the arrhythmia. However, even if initially successful, some arrhythmias may return. The recurrence rate is between 5 and 10% and tends to happen within the first several months. Most recurrences may be successfully treated with another ablation.

Are There Risks Involved With an Ablation?

An ablation is similar to an EP study, and carries similar risks. However, since part of an ablation involves cauterizing (burning) cells inside the heart, there is an added risk to an ablation. There is a small chance that the ablation catheter will destroy some of the normal tissues inside the heart. If part of the normal conducting system is destroyed accidentally, you will need a permanent pacemaker. This is a rare complication and happens in less than 1% of cases.