• To identify the underlying cause of symptoms thought to be a heart rhythm disturbance.
• To assess abnormally fast or slow heart beats.
• To assess the effectiveness of medications, which are taken to regulate a heart rhythm disturbance
• To check the functioning of devices such as an implantable defibrillator.
• To help answer some of the questions the doctor has about the patient’s electrical heart system in order to assist him in choosing the best treatment plan.

Though rare, complications can include

• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Perforation of the heart muscle or a blood vessel
• Stroke or heart attack (very rare)
• Death (extremely rare)

• Blood tests
• Echocardiogram – a type of ultrasound used to provide a view of the heart to determine if there is heart muscle or valve disease that may be causing an arrhythmia. This test may be performed at rest or with activity.
• Chest x-ray
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) - The electrical impulses travelling through the heart muscle, recorded by electrodes attached to the skin on the chest, arms and legs.

• The patient will be instructed not to eat or drink anything after midnight prior to the procedure.
• If taking prescription medications, the patient should discuss with the physician whether to continue to take them on the day of the procedure.
• Patients who take blood thinners, such as Coumadin®, will be advised by their physicians to stop taking this medication for a period of time prior to their cardiac ablation.
• If diabetic, it is important to discuss with the physician how to adjust insulin and food intake prior to the procedure.
• Patients should arrange for transportation and assistance from and to the hospital.

• The patient will be given sedation to help him relax
• The heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure will be continuously monitored.
• The area where the sheath, the arm or the groin, will be inserted will be numbed with a local anaesthetic medication.
• Electrode catheters are inserted through the sheath and threaded to the heart guided by special imaging equipment
• The electrophysiologist performs a detailed electrical mapping of the heart to determine the sites causing the abnormal heart rhythms.
• An ablating catheter is then guided to the abnormal areas and electromagnetic energy is passed through this specialized catheter to treat the abnormal tissue and render it electrically silent.
• The electrophysiologist may stimulate the heart with tiny electrical impulses at different times throughout the procedure.
• The catheters and sheath are removed once the procedure is completed
• Pressure will be place on the sheath site, and once the bleeding has stopped, a dressing (bandage) will be applied.
• The estimated time for cardiac ablation is two to six hours, depending on how many areas need to be treated.

• The procedure causes little or no discomfort
• Following the procedure, the patient will spend three to six hours resting in the Cardiac Day Accommodation Room (CDAR) prior to discharge.
• A nurse will continue to monitor the heart rate, blood pressure, pulses, and insertion site.
• The patient will be instructed to lie flat with the head slightly elevated at a 30-degree angle.
• Upon discharge, most patients require only minimal restrictions of their daily activities for a short period of time.
• The patient is asked to keep the leg or arm straight for six to eight hours and move a little as possible to help prevent bleeding.
• The patient must inform the nurse right away if he experiences any of the following:
  • Numbness or tingling in leg or arm
  • Pain and its location
  • Shortness of breath, weakness or dizziness
  • Palpitations (heart feels as if skipping beats)