What is the Difference Between Ablation and Coagulation

The key difference between ablation and coagulation is that ablation is an artificially induced medical procedure used to treat heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), while coagulation is a naturally occurring process inside the body to form blood clots.

Ablation and coagulation are two different scenarios that take place inside the body. Ablation or catheter ablation mainly induces tissue scarring to alter the signalling pattern of the heart to prevent irregular heartbeats. Coagulation or blood coagulation occurs all the time in response to a wound. Both processes provide benefits when they function at normal levels.

CONTENTS

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

What is Ablation?

Ablation is a medical procedure that uses a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to induce small scars inside the heart. Catheters should be inserted through veins or arteries. Ablation causes the break-up of the electrical signaling process of the heart, which results in irregular heartbeats. It is an artificial process that involves medical professionals. This procedure helps to correct heart rhythm problems and restore a normal heartbeat. Ablation is a non-surgical procedure and is a minimally invasive technique.

There are two types of ablation: radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation. During radiofrequency ablation, the doctor will insert a catheter and send radiofrequency energy, such as microwave heat. This will result in forming circular scars around each vein or group of veins. During cryoablation, the doctor uses a single catheter with a balloon tip that consists of materials that cause the freezing of tissues to induce a scar. Risks involved with ablation are heart puncture, heart damage, narrowing of pulmonary veins, bleeding, infection, etc.

What is Coagulation?

Coagulation is the process of clotting, where the physical form of blood changes from liquid to gel. Blood coagulation is the most common form of coagulation that result in the formation of a blood clot.

There are three types of coagulation: superficial venous thrombosis, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE). Coagulation gets initiated after an injury that damages the endothelium lining a blood vessel. Once the blood gets exposed to the subendothelial space, it initiates different processes, which end up in the formation of a blood clot to stop the bleeding.

The coagulation process requires coagulation factors, calcium, and phospholipids. The main risk involved with coagulation is the development of a stroke, which could lead to death. This occurs when blood clotting occurs outside natural parameters.

What are the Similarities Between Ablation and Coagulation?

• Ablation and coagulation are two types of processes that are vital to the healthy functioning of the body.
• Both processes involve the circulatory system.
• Ablation and coagulation result in scarring of a wound.

What is the Difference Between Ablation and Coagulation?

Ablation is an artificially induced medical process used to correct heart rhythm problems, while coagulation is a naturally occurring process used to form blood clots. Thus, this is the key difference between ablation and coagulation. The risks involved with ablation are heart puncture, heart damage, narrowing of pulmonary veins, bleeding, infection, etc., while the main risk involved with coagulation is the development of a stroke, which could lead to death.

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

Summary – Ablation vs Coagulation

Ablation and coagulation are two different scenarios that are important for the normal functioning of the body. Ablation is an artificially induced process done by medical professionals. This procedure is used to induce small tissue scarring to alter the signaling pattern of the heart to prevent irregular heartbeats. Risks involved with ablation are heart puncture, heart damage, narrowing of the pulmonary vein, bleeding, and infection. Blood coagulation, on the other hand, is a naturally occurring process. In coagulation, the physical form of blood changes from liquid to gel. The main risk involved with coagulation is the development of a stroke which could lead to death. So, this summarizes the difference between ablation and coagulation.

Reference:

1. “Atrial Fibrillation Ablation.” Johns Hopkins Medicine.
2. “The Blood Coagulation Process.” – Nurse Ce.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Radiofrequency ablation” By Scientific Animations (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Coagulation in vivo” By Dr Graham Beards – Own work (Based on Figure 7.5 on page 167 of “Blood Science: principles and pathology” by Andrew Blann and Nessar Ahmed, Publishers Wiley Blackwell (2014) ISBN:978-1-118-35146-8) (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia