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What Complications Can Arise Post A Wrong Cardiac Ablation?
Question: My sister just had an attempted ablation but the heart was nicked so they stopped it an now she is being intibated. What problems can we expect? What usually occurs to a patient when this happens?
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome on HCM!
I am sorry to hear that something has gone wrong during your sister's cardiac ablation.
It seems that a serious complication has occurred. In general complication rate during cardiac ablation has been reported t orange from 0.8% to around 5% of cases.
Several potential complications may occur, but the most probable complications in your sister's case are as follows:
- a tromboembolic event (a stroke of different severities, from a small stroke to a massive cerebral injury). The prognosis will depend on the degree and location of cerebral involvement. In such case a brain CT would be helpful.
- phrenic nerve injury (leading to certain degree of dyspnea and diaphragmatic elevation at the chest X-ray). Prognosis of phrenic nerve injury is commonly very good with complete recovery after a few months.
- hemorrhagic complications like hemothorax, retroperitoneal bleeding, which require prompt intervention and blood transfusion.
Rarely may occur cardiac tamponade (abrupt accumulation of blood into the pericardial space), leading to the most life-threatening complication of cardiac ablation.
It has a high rate of mortality and requires emergent intervention (usually surgical) to evacuate blood from pericardial space and interrupt more bleeding.
It is caused generally by the complicated trans-septal puncture and ablation-related damage to the left atrium.
I hope that any of the above possible implications be not serious (severe), and everything goes in the right direction under close and intensive medical assistance.
In order to exactly clarify the present complication(s) and her actual medical conditions, I recommend discussing with her interventional cardiologist (who performed the ablation) or with her attending intensive care doctor.
Wishing again that everything will turn fine and your sister will go through continuous improvements; I remain at your disposal for any further uncertainties.
Feel free to ask me again!
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome on HCM!
I am sorry to hear that something has gone wrong during your sister's cardiac ablation.
It seems that a serious complication has occurred. In general complication rate during cardiac ablation has been reported t orange from 0.8% to around 5% of cases.
Several potential complications may occur, but the most probable complications in your sister's case are as follows:
- a tromboembolic event (a stroke of different severities, from a small stroke to a massive cerebral injury). The prognosis will depend on the degree and location of cerebral involvement. In such case a brain CT would be helpful.
- phrenic nerve injury (leading to certain degree of dyspnea and diaphragmatic elevation at the chest X-ray). Prognosis of phrenic nerve injury is commonly very good with complete recovery after a few months.
- hemorrhagic complications like hemothorax, retroperitoneal bleeding, which require prompt intervention and blood transfusion.
Rarely may occur cardiac tamponade (abrupt accumulation of blood into the pericardial space), leading to the most life-threatening complication of cardiac ablation.
It has a high rate of mortality and requires emergent intervention (usually surgical) to evacuate blood from pericardial space and interrupt more bleeding.
It is caused generally by the complicated trans-septal puncture and ablation-related damage to the left atrium.
I hope that any of the above possible implications be not serious (severe), and everything goes in the right direction under close and intensive medical assistance.
In order to exactly clarify the present complication(s) and her actual medical conditions, I recommend discussing with her interventional cardiologist (who performed the ablation) or with her attending intensive care doctor.
Wishing again that everything will turn fine and your sister will go through continuous improvements; I remain at your disposal for any further uncertainties.
Feel free to ask me again!
Hope to have been helpful to you!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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