A healthy heart is a key to live a quality life. Arrhythmia has turned out to be a common cause of concern these days. 'Arrhythmia' is a scientific term that is used to describe heart rhythm problems. It occurs due to fastening or slowing of normal heartbeats. Irregular pattern of heartbeats may lead to several life-threatening conditions. Therefore, patients must seek a prompt medical attention to avoid complications. Cardiac ablation is most widely used medical procedure that can help treat such heart rhythm problems effectively.
Causes and Symptoms of Arrhythmia
Medical experts state that factors like smoking, drug abuse, excessive stress, high blood pressure, diabetes, blocked artery, and heavy alcohol consumption may fuel up the chances of irregular heartbeat pattern and cause arrhythmia. The following list conveys most common symptoms of arrhythmia.
- Chest pain - People suffering from an underlying condition of arrhythmia may encounter frequent episodes of pain in chest. This symptom should not be neglected as it may raise the probability of a heart attack.
- Weakness - Extreme weakness or tiredness could be a potential sign of unrecognized heart problem especially arrhythmia.
- Fast Heartbeats - Normal heartbeat ratio of an adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. If heart rate goes beyond 100 beats per minute, then the health condition is known as tachycardia. This type of arrhythmia causes racing of heartbeat. In such cases, patients should seek a medical care at the earliest.
- Slowing of Heartbeat - Slowing of heartbeat is referred to as bradycardia arrhythmia. If patient's heart rate goes less than 60 beats per minute, then it indicates condition of bradycardia. Patients should check with a heart specialist to figure out their exact health status.
- Shortness of Breath - Shortness of breath and sweating after performing exhausting physical exercises is natural. However, if an individual experiences shortness of breath for no such reason, then they should not delay in visiting an experienced cardiologist.
Good Candidates for Cardiac Ablation
Patients who fall under the following list of category are considered to be good candidates for undergoing a cardiac ablation procedure.
- Severe Arrhythmia Problem - People diagnosed with arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, and AV nodal reentrant tachycardia are most suitable candidates for cardiac ablation. In addition to this, people suffering from 'Wolff-Parkinson-White-Syndrome' (WPW) which causes fastening of heartbeats at certain intervals may also undergo a cardiac ablation.
- Failure of Medicines - People who do not get desired results even after taking prescribed medicines for arrhythmia may opt for a cardiac ablation procedure.
- Side-Effects of Medications - People who are struggling with serious side-effects due to intake of medicines for controlling arrhythmia may consult a cardiac surgeon for undergoing cardiac ablation.
Preparing for Cardiac Ablation Procedure
Cardiac surgeons may recommend the following tests to check current status of patient's heart a few weeks prior to cardiac ablation procedure.
- Electrocardiogram Test - This test involves measurement of electrical activity of heart with the help of a medical instrument called as a sensor. It can easily detect any abnormality in heart rate by analyzing heartbeat pattern of patients.
- Echocardiography - This test involves use of a specialized tool called as a transducer which works on the principle of radio waves to generate pictures of heart, surrounding tissues and structures.
- Stress Test - Surgeons will ask patients to exercise on a treadmill and record their heart's activity during a stress test. This test can determine the extent of arrhythmia disorder.
- Blood Tests - Thyroid gland may aggravate heart rhythm problems. Therefore, doctors may recommend some blood tests to check for the functioning of thyroid gland.
- Pregnancy Tests - This procedure is quite risky for pregnant ladies. Therefore, doctors may recommend certain tests to inspect overall health of pregnant patients.
Furthermore, doctors may advise patients to quit smoking and avoid unhealthy foods during pre-surgery period. Patients should follow their directions deliberately to maintain sound health. It will maximize the chances of good outcomes following a cardiac ablation procedure.
Cardiac Ablation Procedure
Also known as 'cardiac radiofrequency ablation', cardiac ablation is a surgical procedure that can be performed successfully in an electrophysiology laboratory within 6 hours with the help of following steps.
- General Anesthesia - Cardiac surgeons perform cardiac ablation by using general anesthesia.
- Incision- A small incision is made near arm, groin, or neck area and a catheter is inserted through blood vessels and directed towards patient's heart via a thin wire. Then, respective cardiac surgeons stimulate heart with the aid of electrode which is located at the end of catheter.
- Target Areas - Surgeons identify the target areas that need attention carefully and use radiofrequency heat to wipe them out completely. Once the problematic areas are destroyed, patients will no longer experience the abnormal heart rhythms.
- Removal of Wire and Catheter - At the end, cardiac surgeons will remove the catheter and thin wire and close the incision. Patients may feel uneasy around chest area for some interval of time.
Patients can go home on same day of operation. However, they will be monitored for few hours and a list of medications will be given to them for minimizing post-operative problems.
Risks and Complications Associated with Cardiac Radiofrequency Ablation
The following are the major risk and complications associated with a cardiac ablation procedure. Patients must discuss them with surgeons and understand everything before signing the consent form.
- Clotting of blood
- Heart valve damage
- Fluid accumulation around heart
- Nerve damage
- Severe bleeding at incision site
- Coronary artery damage
- Heart attack
These complications can be controlled by proper health monitoring and follow-up care. Patients must immediately call respective surgeons in case they experience any problem after surgery.
Recovery Following Cardiac Ablation Procedure
Patients can resume daily routine activities in a short time period nearly three weeks. However, they will not be allowed to perform activities like driving and playing sports until they become healthy. Respective doctors will provide them medicines and a special diet plan to help them recover in a smooth manner. Patients must take prescribed dosage of medicines as per doctor's instruction and increase intake of water to stay hydrated. They will need to visit respective doctors regularly for complete heart evaluation. Soon patients will notice a positive change in health and an improved quality of life.
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Surgery Tours India Medical Tourism is a renowned healthcare facilitator that aim at delivering top-class medical solutions to international patients at affordable prices. Surgery Tours India has a close association with experienced cardiologists in India that hold an expertise in performing cardiac procedures like cardiac radiofrequency ablation. Cardiac radiofrequency ablation cost in India is extremely less in comparison with developed countries like the United States and Norway. Surgery Tours India focuses on providing cost-effective as well as customized treatment packages according to the requirement of patients. Unlike others, Surgery Tours India makes sure their overseas guests do not encounter any trouble in the post-operative period. They stay in touch with international patients even when they leave India following their treatment. They take great efforts to make the medical journey of patients a hassle-free experience. Therefore, international patients can contact Surgery Tours India Medical Tourism to get best cardiac radiofrequency ablation in India.
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