What Are the Risks of Catheter Ablation?
Catheter ablation has some risks. The procedure may cause: • Bleeding, infection, and pain at the site where the ablation catheter was inserted. • Damage to your blood vessels. This complication is very rare. It’s caused by the catheter scraping or poking a hole in a blood vessel as it’s guided to the heart. • Puncture of the heart. • Damage to the heart’s electrical system, which may cause you to need a permanent pacemaker. A pacemaker is a small device that’s placed under the skin of your chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. • Blood clots, which could lead to stroke or other complications. • Narrowing of the veins that carry blood from the lungs to the heart. This narrowing is called stenosis. As with any heart procedure, complications can sometimes be fatal. However, this is rare with catheter ablation. The risk of complications is higher if you have diabetes or kidney disease. The risk also is higher if you’re 75 years old or older.
