Electrophysiological Study and Ablation

Before the procedure, your consultant will review your medical history, medications, and recent heart rhythm recordings. They’ll explain exactly what will happen and answer any questions you have.

When you arrive for your appointment, you’ll be asked to change into a hospital gown and lie on a special X-ray table in our cardiac suite. You’ll be given a light sedation, so you’ll be relaxed and pain-free, but awake enough to respond if needed. Some people may drift off to sleep during the procedure.

A local anaesthetic will be applied to numb the skin in your groin, and your consultant will insert a fine tube (sheath) into one of your blood vessels. Through this tube, several soft catheters are gently guided into your heart under X-ray guidance.

Once the catheters are in, your consultant will measure the electrical signals in your heart to locate the abnormal rhythm. The heart may need to be stimulated to trigger any abnormal rhythms. This may be done through the catheters or using medication.

If an area of heart tissue causing the abnormal rhythm can be located, ablation can be done immediately during the same session by delivering short bursts of heat energy or cooling through the catheters. 

You may feel a brief fluttering or warmth in your chest, but this shouldn't be painful.

The entire procedure usually takes between 1 and 3 hours, depending on the complexity of your heart rhythm problem.

Both procedures are very safe when carried out by experienced cardiac specialists, and serious complications are rare. 

Possible risks include:  

• bleeding or bruising at the top of the leg where the sheaths are inserted

• temporary palpitations or skipped beats following the procedure

• blood clots resulting in a heart attack or stroke

• damage to the heart's own electrical system requiring permanent pacemaker implantation

• blood leaking into the sac around the heart (pericardial effusion)

You’ll have a consultation with your cardiologist before the study is done, where they’ll talk you through how to prepare.

You may need to:

• stop eating or drinking for 6 to 8 hours before the procedure

• stop certain medications temporarily (especially those affecting heart rhythm)

You’ll need to arrange for someone to take you home afterwards, and you won’t be able to drive for 24 hours.

After the procedure, you’ll be taken to a private recovery area where you can relax and recover from the sedation. You’ll be able to go home after a few hours of observation and will need to arrange for someone to collect you. 

You may feel tired after the treatment and a little sore where the sheath was inserted, but this should go away within a few days. You should avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting for 48 hours, and you won’t be able to drive for 24 hours.   

Some patients notice that they can feel their heart beating more strongly afterwards, or they may feel extra or missed beats. This is normal and will settle over time.

Your consultant will check your recovery and review your heart rhythm at a follow-up appointment.

Please contact our Heart Health centre for pricing.

At Welbeck, our cardiologists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

To book an electrophysiological study and ablation, you must be referred by either your GP or a cardiologist following a consultation with them. Self-referrals are not accepted for this test.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with a Welbeck cardiologist, please get in touch to make an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.