Before the Procedure

Patients undergo a series of tests, including a blood test and an electrocardiogram. Please do not eat or drink anything for eight hours prior to the procedure.

Patients should consult with the electrophysiologist or arrhythmia nurse five days before the procedure to determine if current medications need to be discontinued.

Once patients and the doctor have discussed the procedure and specific risks and had questions answered, patients will be required to sign an informed consent form.

During the Procedure

During the radiofrequency ablation, the doctor guides a catheter with an electrode at its tip using fluoroscopy to the area of heart muscle that is causing the arrhythmia. Images from the fluoroscope are displayed on a video screen.

These images help the doctor place the catheter at the exact site inside the heart where cells give off the electrical signals that cause the abnormal heart rhythm. The doctor then administers a highly localized, painless pulse of radiofrequency energy that destroys the problem heart muscle cells. That stops the area from conducting the extra electrical impulses that caused the arrhythmia.

After the Procedure

What symptoms to expect?

Your groin will generally have two access sites: one on each side. There may also be an access site in your neck .It is common to have mild pain, small, quarter-sized swelling, and bruising with color changes near the puncture/access sites. Bruising may occasionally extend down the leg. If larger swelling or more significant pain occurs at the area, please call us at (650) 723-7111 so we can evaluate you.

You may have some minor chest pain and mild shortness of breath for the next week or so. The pain will often worsen with a deep breath or when you lean forward. This is pericardial chest pain from the ablation and is generally not of concern. It should resolve within a week although it might increase for a day or so after the ablation. If symptoms worsen with time, call our office.

Low grade fevers of around 99 degrees are common in the first day or so post-ablation. If you develop unexplained fevers exceeding 100 degrees anytime within the first 3 weeks post-ablation, you need to call us.

What symptoms to report?

• Severe or worsening shortness of breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Any unusual swelling, drainage, or severe pain at your puncture sites
• Fever greater than 100 degrees
• Severe chest pain with respiration or positional changes
• Urinary urgency, frequency, pain, or blood in urine
• Difficulty swallowing, vomiting or blood in stools.

Call 911 if you develop any neurological symptoms such as:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Difficulty with vision in one or both eyes
• Difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

How should I take care of my puncture sites?

• Keep your puncture sites clean. You may shower, but do not submerge your puncture sites in the tub, pool, hot tub or lake until they are well healed (at least 7 days)
• Avoid using deodorants, powders, creams, lotions, etc. on your puncture sites. Keep sites open to air
• Your puncture sites should gradually look better each day. If you notice unusual swelling, redness, drainage, increased pain at the site, or have a fever greater than 100 degrees, please call 650-723-7111. 

Activites

In the first week post-ablation, you should take it easy. For one week, do not lift, push, or pull anything heavier than 10 pounds, or a jug of milk. Avoid sex, driving, straining to have a bowel movement, or stair climbing.

You may return to your normal activities in one week.

Important Phone Numbers

Stanford Arrhythmia Service: (650) 723-7111 - for questions or problems (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) 

Stanford Device Clinic: (650) 723-6459 - for appointments