What is the Difference Between Ablation and Cardioversion

The key difference between ablation and cardioversion is that ablation is a procedure that destroys small parts of tissue inside the heart to keep the faulty electrical signals in the heart from triggering irregular beats, while cardioversion is a procedure that gives a mild electric shock to reset the heart to a regular rhythm from irregular beats.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is known as a form of irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia. It is due to problems with the electrical signals that control the blood-pumping action of the heart. The faulty electrical signals cause the heart to beat too fast in an unsteady pattern. The goal of the treatment of AFib is to get the heart back to its normal beat and reduce the risk of stroke. Two more common non-drug treatments or procedures to manage atrial fibrillation are ablation and cardioversion.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ablation  
3. What is Cardioversion
4. Similarities – Ablation and Cardioversion
5. Ablation vs. Cardioversion in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Ablation and Cardioversion

What is Ablation?

Ablation is the most often used treatment technique for AFib. Patients have to spend the night in the hospital for this procedure. In this procedure, patients may first get anaesthesia. Then the doctor will insert several thin hollow tubes into a vein, first in the leg, and later thread them up to the heart. Later, the doctor passes special tools through tubes. The doctor will locate the parts of the heart where faulty electrical signals are generated. Finally, the doctor will create scar tissue to disable the problematic areas that generate faulty electrical signals either by burning or freezing. If ablation takes place in the AV node of the heart, the doctor may also implant a pacemaker in the heart.

Ablation can also raise the chances or risk of a blood clot, so patients should take blood thinners for up to several months after this procedure. Patients may also need drugs to control the heart rhythm for a few weeks after ablation.

What is Cardioversion?

Cardioversion is usually an outpatient procedure to treat AFib. In this procedure, patients do not need to spend the night at the hospital. First, patients will get anesthesia to put them to sleep. Then the electrodes are placed on their chest and sometimes on their back. Finally, a mild electrical charge is passed between the electrodes to break up the faulty electrical signals in the heart. This ultimately lets the normal heart rhythm start again.

However, cardioversion can cause blood clots, so people may need to take blood thinners for several weeks before and after this procedure. Sometimes, patients are needed to undergo an imaging test called a transesophageal echocardiogram to identify blood clots before the cardioversion as well.

What are the Similarities Between Ablation and Cardioversion?

• Ablation and cardioversion are two non-drug treatments or procedures to manage atrial fibrillation.
• Qualified heart doctors should perform both of these techniques.
• Before and after both of these procedures, patients need to take blood thinners.
• They may sometimes cause unintended complications.

What is the Difference Between Ablation and Cardioversion?

Ablation is a procedure that destroys small parts of tissue inside the heart to keep the faulty electrical signals in the heart from triggering irregular beats, while cardioversion is a procedure that gives a mild electric shock to reset the heart to a regular rhythm from irregular beats. Thus, this is the key difference between ablation and cardioversion. Furthermore, ablation is an inpatient procedure, while cardioversion is an outpatient procedure.

The infographic below presents the differences between ablation and cardioversion in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Ablation vs. Cardioversion

Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that results in abnormal electrical impulses suddenly firing in the atria of the heart. This leads to an abnormal heart rhythm or rapid heartbeat (arrhythmia). This condition can be corrected through two non-drug treatments: ablation and cardioversion. Ablation destroys small parts of tissue inside the heart to keep the faulty electrical signals in the heart from triggering irregular beats. In contrast, cardioversion gives a mild electric shock to reset the heart to a regular rhythm from irregular beats. So, this summarizes the difference between ablation and cardioversion.

Reference:

1. “Cardiac Ablation.” Mayo Clinic.
2. “Cardioversion: Procedure, Treatment & Recovery.” Cleveland Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Radiofrequency ablation” By Scientific Animations.com (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Cardioversion” By Jmarchn – National Heart Lung and Blood Insitute (NIH) (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia