Ablation Benefits

Atrial fibrillation ablation benefits patients because it eliminates undesirable symptoms that result from the atrial fibrillation (AF) procedure, medication for AF and the side effects of blood thinners (Warfarin).

The Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Center electrophysiologist will discuss your chance of success on a one-on-one basis. Your chances of being free from AF and AF medications will be determined by several factors including the size of the atria upper heart chambers, how long and how persistent your AF is and what underlying conditions you may have that we cannot change. The electrophysiologist will also discuss the procedure risks and the risks of atrial fibrillation.

Risks Associated with Catheter Ablation

All procedures carry some risks. Procedures done on the heart with catheters placed inside the heart have a set of potential problems that can occur. Some of these problems can result in death although death is very rare. Reports from catheter ablation centers around the world have stated that as many as one person in 1,000 may die but that many of the reported past deaths would have been preventable if there were emergency heart or chest surgery facilities available. We perform all of our AF ablation procedures in hospitals where open heart surgery is available, where there are experienced interventional and noninvasive cardiologists for assistance with advanced diagnosis of any problem, or for cardiac catheterization and other emergency treatment of heart attacks. Specialists are within minutes or our procedure rooms.

Possibility of complications include:

  • Allergic reactions
  • Arrhythmias
  • Bleeding around the heart
  • Blood clotting
  • Blood vessel injury
  • Death
  • Emergent need for surgery (open heart)
  • Heart attack
  • Inability to effectively treat the rhythm problem
  • Infection
  • Injury to the diaphragm (breathing muscle)
  • Injury to the food pipe called the esophagus
  • Need for future procedures
  • Need for a pacemaker
  • Nerve damage, including nerves supplying the breathing muscle stomach and voice box
  • Nerve injury
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pulmonary vein (blood vessels in the left upper heart chamber) narrowing
  • Stroke
  • Worsening kidney function

Please discuss these risks with your doctor and feel free to ask the doctor or nurse any questions about the consequence of these risks.