Cardiac Ablation

Treating Irregular Heartbeats with Catheter Ablation

Catheter heart ablation is a procedure to treat cardiac arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms. This treatment uses radiofrequency or another type of energy to destroy an area of tissue involved in the arrhythmia. If you have recurrent episodes of cardiac arrhythmias that cause symptoms, your doctor may suggest this treatment.

Specialists at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Electrophysiology Institute & Arrhythmia Service are experts in performing cardiac ablation procedures.

Preparing for Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

You may need to stop taking some medications — including blood thinners — prior to the procedure. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before the ablation.

On the day of the procedure, you need to have a family member or friend drive you to BIDMC. Bring a list of medications approved by your doctor (including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements). Do not bring any valuables with you. A member of our team will call you one to two days before your procedure with the time you should arrive at the medical center.

Arriving for the Procedure

We perform catheter ablation in the CardioVascular Institute’s Electrophysiology Lab, located on the West Campus of BIDMC on the fourth floor of the Baker Building (Farr Complex) at 185 Pilgrim Road.

Some ablation procedures require an overnight hospital stay, while others are outpatient, same-day procedures. Your care team will let you know what to expect ahead of time. 

What to Expect During the Procedure

During the procedure, you'll be connected to monitoring equipment. Your care team may give you a mild sedation, or you may be under general anesthesia (fully asleep) for this procedure. Your care team will let you know ahead of time which type of anesthesia they'll use for your ablation.

A member of your care team will put local anesthetic on the groin area to numb it. They will place catheters (long, thin, flexible tubes) through the femoral (thigh) vessels and then feed them through to the heart. Your care team will use fluoroscopy (X-ray) to guide this process.

Your doctor may conduct an electrophysiologic study to determine the source of your arrhythmia. Once we find source, we’ll apply radiofrequency energy to that area. At the end of the procedure, your care team will remove the catheters. You will be on bed rest for four to six hours.

After Ablation

For 10 days after your catheter ablation, you should avoid strenuous activity, heavy exercise and lifting more than 10 pounds.