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Hello SuziBoo,

Welcome to the EmpowHER community. Do you have a specific question regarding cardiac ablation or post atrial ablation?

Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure to treat atrial fibrillation.During an ablation, the doctor destroys tiny areas in the heart that are firing off abnormal electrical impulses and causing atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation ( is a type of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) in which the heart's upper chambers called the atria, quiver, or fibrillate. This increases the risk of blood clots, which can cause a stroke or other problems. The lower chambers beat without a regular rhythm and may beat too fast. This can cause symptoms like lightheadedness or chest pain.

Recovery from catheter ablation is usually quick. You may be hospitalized for 1 to 2 days so that your doctor can monitor your heart.

Many people think that having ablation means they'll be able to stop taking an anticoagulant also called a blood thinner, such as warfarin, every day to prevent stroke. But that is only true if your risk of stroke is low. Studies haven't proved that ablation for atrial fibrillation lowers your risk of stroke. So you'll still need to take an anticoagulant if your risk of stroke remains high. Your doctor can tell you about your stroke risk.

After an ablation, you might take an antiarrhythmic medicine for a few months to help keep your heart in a normal rhythm.

Regards,
Maryann

November 13, 2015 - 10:43am

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