Cardioversion is a treatment which uses a defibrillator to deliver a controlled electric shock to your heart to try and stop atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.
Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter are common arrhythmias in which the chambers at the top of the heart (atria) beat quickly or irregularly. These can cause symptoms such as palpitations and breathlessness. There is a risk of a clot developing on the inside of the heart which can lead to stroke.
The aim of cardioversion is to get rid of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter and return the heart to a normal rhythm. This may improve symptoms of palpitations, breathlessness, and tiredness.
The benefits are to restore the normal rhythm of the heart and improve symptoms. In the longer term if successful there may also be the possibility to stop medications including anticoagulant (blood-thinning) drugs.
The risks of the procedure are low but include skin irritation from where the pads contacted the skin, and the risk of an anaesthetic (very low in most cases). There is a very small chance of cardioversion causing a different rhythm problem but this would be treated at the time. There is also a very small chance of stroke, but this should be kept low as long as you have been taking your anticoagulant (blood thinner).
This occurs as a day-case procedure and patients can usually go home a few hours later. You will have been asked not to eat that morning and to have someone with you to take you home afterwards as you will be having medications to make you sleepy. You should have been taking medications to thin the blood beforehand (to reduce the risk of stroke) and this will be checked when you arrive.
Patients are prepared by having a small plastic tube (cannula) inserted into the arm and this allows you to receive short-acting medications to make you sleepy. When asleep, pads are placed on your chest and connected to a defibrillator (a medical device that delivers a controlled electric shock). Whilst asleep you will be given an electric shock. If the first shock is unsuccessful then another shock may be given with a higher energy. You will then be woken up and monitored whilst you recover. Most patients can go home a few hours later.
In most cases, cardioversion is successful but it is possible that even when successful initially your heart rhythm may relapse into atrial fibrillation at a later date. If you have ongoing problems with atrial fibrillation then your doctor may discuss an ablation with you which carries some additional risks but provides more long-term success.
Cardioversion is a common procedure to restore the normal rhythm of the heart but needs careful weighing up by expert Consultant Cardiologists. Our cardiologists are available for consultation on any day of the week and weekends as well.
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