What is Cardiac Ablation?

Dear Ask The Doctor: Diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and tachicardia. Now booked for cardiac ablation. What is cardiac ablation?

Dear Vanessa: Cardiac ablation is a medical procedure in which a thin catheter is inserted into a blood vessel in your arm or leg. This catheter is then guided into your heart and the abnormal area causing the irregular heart rate is destroyed using a radio frequency pulse for the catheter. Cardiac ablation is a relative long procedure, between 4-6 hours and is done by a cardiologist in a hospital setup where there is minimal risk of the procedure. During the procedure you may feel slight dizziness, increased heart rate at times and mild chest discomfort when the radio frequency pulse is being used. I hope I am able to answer all your queries regarding cardiac ablation and wish you a speedy recovery after the procedure.