Cardiac Ablation at One Heart Clinic

Cardiac ablation is a procedure used to treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). It works by targeting and destroying small areas of heart tissue that are causing the irregular electrical signals. The type of ablation you need depends on your symptoms.

Here is a breakdown of the most common types:

• Radiofrequency Ablation

  How it works: Uses heat (radiofrequency energy) to destroy the problematic tissue.

  Used for: Most common arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and certain types of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT).

  Why it’s used: Safe, effective, and widely available.

• Cryoablation

  How it works: Uses extreme cold to freeze and disable the faulty electrical pathways.

  Used for: Often used in treating atrial fibrillation, especially around the pulmonary veins.

  Why it’s used: Less risk of damaging nearby tissues; useful in certain areas of the heart where precision is key.

• Pulse Field Ablation

  How it works: Instead of using heat (like radiofrequency) or cold (like cryoablation), PFA uses short, high-voltage electrical pulses to create tiny pores in heart cells, which disrupts abnormal electrical signals and selectively destroys unwanted tissue.

  Used for: Often used in treating atrial fibrillation.

  Why it’s used: This treatment is non-thermal. It doesn’t use heat or freezing, so there’s less risk of damaging nearby tissues. It can be faster than other types of ablations. The pulses are delivered very quickly, often making the procedure shorter than traditional ablation methods.

Cardiac ablation with OHC is generally a safe and well-tolerated procedure, especially when performed by an experienced team. Our operator’s complication rate is less than 1% for ablations. Your cardiologist will explain these risks in detail during your consultation, ensuring you feel confident and informed before proceeding. However, like any medical procedure, it does carry some risks.

Here’s a summary of general risks:

• - Bleeding or bruising at the catheter insertion site (usually in the groin or wrist)
• - Infection
• - Blood vessel damage
• - Blood clots, which could lead to a stroke or heart attack (rare)

Ablation at OHC offers significant benefits for patients with arrhythmias, helping you regain a steady heartbeat and improve your life. If you’re living with a heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia), cardiac ablation can offer relief, peace of mind, and a path back to feeling like yourself again.

Here’s how it can help:

• Relief from Symptoms: Ablation can reduce or eliminate symptoms that interfere with your life, like heart racing or fluttering, shortness of breath, fatigue, and light-headedness or fainting. Many people feel dramatic improvement in their daily energy and comfort.

• Lower Risk of Stroke and Heart Failure: Especially for people with atrial fibrillation, successful ablation can reduce stroke risk and help the heart pump more effectively.

• Reduced Need for Medications: Ablation can lower your reliance on long-term medications (like antiarrhythmics), which may have side effects or not work well.

• Improved Quality of Life: Feel more confident being active, travelling, or simply enjoying everyday activities. Many patients report a renewed sense of freedom and well-being after ablation.

In many cases, ablation significantly reduces or completely stops the arrhythmia for our patients. Some people may need a repeat procedure, but success rates are high—especially for conditions like atrial fibrillation or SVT. It is common to have some irregular rhythms during the first 6–8 weeks after your procedure. This is known as the “blanking period” - your heart is healing and may still be a bit irritated. That doesn’t mean the ablation didn’t work.

Some patients feel better immediately, especially if they had frequent symptoms before. Others may still feel occasional irregular heartbeats in the first few weeks—this is normal as your heart adjusts. Feeling tired or drained for a few days (or even a week or two) is common. Your body needs time to heal, even though the procedure is minimally invasive. Rest is part of the recovery.

We’re here for you. Please don’t hesitate to call our office or speak with your patient concierge. Your peace of mind is just as important as your physical health. Cardiac ablation is a safe and effective treatment that can greatly improve your quality of life. Your doctor will guide you every step of the way and answer all your questions, so you’re never going through this alone.