Types
Who needs this procedure?
How to prepare
How is it performed?
Recovery
Risks
Benefits
Ablation FAQs
0:47
Title
What is an ablation?
Duration
0:47
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Video Transcript
An ablation procedure involves delivering radio frequency energy within your heart to try and fix abnormal heart rhythm problems. Ablation techniques and duration times vary depending on the type of condition you have, but in most cases, this involves passing a thin floppy wire via the vein in your leg called the femoral vein, and that acts like a motorway, which runs from your leg all the way up to your heart.
By putting a small sheath into that vein, we can pass the wire into the heart, find the abnormal area, which needs treatment and deliver treatment at that point. It’s a very safe procedure with very small risks but most people have absolutely no problems.
1:17
Title
What happens on the day of an ablation procedure?
Duration
1:17
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:24
Title
Should I have an ablation or go on medication first?
Duration
0:24
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:42
Title
How long does recovery take after ablation?
Duration
0:42
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:35
Title
Can I still have symptoms after an ablation procedure
Duration
0:35
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:44
Title
How soon can I exercise after ablation?
Duration
0:44
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:52
Title
What is cryoballoon ablation?
Duration
0:52
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:16
Title
How long until we know if an ablation was successful
Duration
0:16
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
0:32
Title
Do I still need to take medication after an ablation procedure?
Duration
0:32
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Video Transcript
If you’ve had a successful ablation, we’re always keen to try and take you off the medications. Now, you may need to stay on the medications that prevent strokes, but certainly the medications that are controlling your heart rhythm, we, and I’m sure you are keen to come off them, and that’s often the way it happens. Occasionally, we may need to continue on some of those medications after your ablation, but we’ll discuss that with you and we can have a clear understanding of what needs to be done.
0:17
Title
Do I need a general anaesthetic for an ablation procedure?
Duration
0:17
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
In most patients, we do this procedure under a general anesthetic.
It’s more comfortable for you. We can use a camera during the procedure to help monitoring,
but we do do the procedure with just local anesthetic and sedation in some cases.
0:44
Title
How successful is an ablation procedure?
Duration
0:44
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr. Syed Ahsan, a Consultant Cardiologist at London Heart Clinic, emphasises that ablation for AF is a very successful treatment. Initial procedures achieve over 50% rhythm maintenance, with higher success rates in subsequent attempts. However, if you’ve had multiple ablations that have failed, a newer option called the convergent procedure may be right for you. Contact the London Heart Clinic to learn more about your treatment options.
Video Transcript
Ablation for AF is very successful and overall more than 50% of patients after the first procedure will maintain a regular rhythm. Obviously, you may need more procedures and the incremental success rate increases with each procedure that you have. If you have episodes of AF, which are intermittent…
0:30
Title
What to expect after an ablation procedure?
Duration
0:30
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr Syed Ahsan lists some of the things that you can expect after an ablation procedure, including the blanking period during which you may still experience palpitations as inflammation settles down.
0:44
Title
What is catheter ablation?
Duration
0:44
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr. Syed Ahsan, a Consultant Cardiologist at London Heart Clinic, explains what happens during a catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Instead of surgery, small wires and balloons are passed through veins in the leg, which act like a motorway into the heart. This allows the delivery of high-frequency energy or freezing within the heart to prevent abnormal electrical signals that trigger AF and other rhythm issues. This procedure is effective, safe and efficient, and many people are able to go home the same day as their procedure.
0:42
Title
What can I expect before and after my ablation procedure?
Duration
0:42
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr Syed Ahsan lists some of the things that you can expect before and after your ablation procedure, including assessments by the specialist and nurse beforehand, and recovery afterward.
1:54
Title
What happens during a catheter ablation procedure?
Duration
1:54
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr Syed Ahsan explains what happens during a catheter ablation procedure, including the passing of fine wires through the veins in your leg through to your heart. They then create a 3D image of the heart, and deliver the treatment to very specific areas.
0:19
Title
What can I expect from a catheter ablation procedure?
Duration
0:19
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr. Syed Ahsan explains that most catheter ablations can be done as day procedures without surgery, and in most cases you will be up and walking within a few hours.
Video Transcript
Depending on the type of ablation procedure you have, this can often be done nowadays as a day case. The recovery after the procedure is normally very quick. And you don’t have any surgery, so you’ll be up and walking around normally within a few hours.
0:21
Title
What is the difference between cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation?
Duration
0:21
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Consultant Cardiologist for Bart’s Heart Centre Dr. Syed Ahsan explains that both cryoablation and radiofrequency have equal rates of success, and are both as safe as the other.
Video Transcript
Radiofrequency in cryoablation, which is freezing of the heart, have recently been compared for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm. The data that we have to date suggests that both techniques carry equal success rates, and are both as safe as each other.
0:23
Title
What is the recovery time from catheter ablation?
Duration
0:23
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr Syed Ahsan explains that the recovery time from an ablation procedure is usually very quick, and you will be discharged the same day (and rarely the next day).
1:25
Title
What are the success rates?
Duration
1:25
Featuring
Dr. Syed Ahsan
Video Description
“Looking for more information about ablation success rates? Dr. Syed Ahsan lists the different success rates for SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and persistent atrial fibrillation, stressing that they are unique to each individual.
The success rates for ablation for SVT is very high, explains Dr Syed Ahsan, Consultant Cardiologist. It is in the high 90’s in terms of percentage. For atrial fibrillation the success rates depend on the type of atrial fibrillation you have and whether you have any other conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes.”
Video Transcript
All of the success rates for ablation for SVT or supraventricular tachycardia are very high, in the high 90s, in terms of percentage. So this is really a curative procedure and it’s now offered to patients as a first-line treatment even before medications because the success rate is so good….
0:48
Title
What are the signs an ablation procedure was successful?
Duration
0:48
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr Syed Ahsan lists some of the signs that an ablation procedure was successful, and explains that while you may experience further palpitations during the blanking period, this does not mean that your treatment was unsuccessful.
0:27
Title
What are the risks of ablation?
Duration
0:27
Featuring
Dr. Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Dr. Syed Ahsan assures viewers of this short video that the chance of risks involved in ablation is very low, and in some rare cases patients experience bruising, tenderness, or needing a pacemaker.
0:21
Title
What can ablation treat?
Duration
0:21
Featuring
Dr Syed Ahsan
Video Description
Wondering what an ablation can treat? Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Syed Ahsan lists these conditions, including SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and ventricular arrhythmias.