In general there is little pain associated with an ablation procedure. There is discomfort with the placement of local anesthesia and catheter placement. There may also be a warm sensation in the chest during the ablation itself. You should not eat the day of your procedure. You will have an IV started before the procedure.
Catheter ablation is performed for a variety of arrhythmias.
The most common are the supraventricular arrhythmias such as WPW, AV Node Reentry and atrial flutter. Ablation is also combined with a pacemaker to treat Atrial fibrillation. Catheter ablation can also be used the treat ventricular arrhythmias, but this is done less commonly than supraventricluar arrhythmias. Catheter ablation patients are usually monitored overnight after the procedure. If there are no complications, you can be discharged the next day and return to normal activities with a few more days.