A procedure to alleviate heartbeat abnormalities is a quick, easy and virtually painless alternative to lifelong medication. Cardiac ablation severs an abnormal electrical connection in the heart that causes palpitations or a racing heartbeat. Medication can regulate the heartbeat, but those with the condition must take it throughout their lives and may endure side effects such as fatigue. Cardiac ablation, on the other hand, typically cures the condition in a single outpatient visit. Dr. Ahmed performs cardiac ablation at MCG with a more than 99 percent success rate.
Cardiac ablation consists of two steps, both performed in a single, approximately two-hour visit.
First, the physician anesthetizes the patient's groin area, where a catheter is inserted into an artery or vein and threaded up to the heart. The catheter is used to stimulate an irregular heartbeat. The physician observes the cardiac activity on X-ray and an electrocardiogram. The EKG charts the activity of each heart chamber. When the heartbeat becomes irregular, the physician refers to the EKG to pinpoint exactly which area of the heart has an abnormal electrical connection.