HOW DR DAVID BEGLEY CAN HELP
Dr Begley is a leading Catheter ablation specialist in Cambridge. His team can offer you all the advice and reassurance you need when undergoing Cardiac rhythm management treatment of any kind. The doctor will be able to identify the cause of your worrying symptoms and offer the appropriate guided treatment to restore your quality of life.
What is a Catheter Ablation And Why Might I Need One?
Catheter ablation is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat a wide range of abnormal heart rhythms. The medical term for these type of afflictions is arrhythmias, and they can cause uncomfortable and often worrying symptoms.
A Catheter Ablation Specialist in Cambridge, like Dr Begley, would usually perform an ablation when symptoms start to interfere with the patients day to day quality of life.
A catheter ablation involves passing thin, flexible tubes, called catheters, through the blood vessels to the heart. The catheters record the heart’s electrical activity and can pinpoint where the arrhythmia is coming from, enabling your Catheter Ablation Specialist in Cambridge to find the correct treatment for you.
How Is A Catheter Ablation Procedure Carried Out?
The procedure is carried out under anaesthetic and sedation and can take a couple of hours to complete. Thin, flexible tubes called catheters are placed into the veins or arteries in either the groin or wrist. The catheters are gently moved into the correct position in your heart. The cardiologist will then undertake an EP study to pinpoint the exact area of your heart where the problem is located.
Finally, either by using heat in the form of radio frequency energy or by freezing (cryoablation), the effected area inside the heart is destroyed. This process will help block the abnormal electrical impulses in that part of your heart to help return your heart rate to a more normal level.
Who Is A Good Candidate For A Catheter Ablation?
You may be a good candidate for ablation if medications and treatments for atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia have previously failed. Catheter ablation is also recommended for some patients who have heart failure. Catheter ablation patients are generally under 80 years of age and have a left atrium of normal size.
They may have been suffering from previous heart troubles and be displaying the following symptoms:
- Palpitations
- Tiredness
- Difficulty breathing
- Signs of heart failure
- Frequent Episodes of any of the above
Is Catheter Ablation Effective?
For around 90 per cent of those who have it, catheter ablation is successful. The procedure is minimally invasive and the recovery time is usually just a few days. You should be able to see improvements in the way you feel within weeks, and you may feel the benefits for many years to come.
Contact Dr Begley
To make an appointment please contact Dr David Begley’s Private Secretary, Ruth Littlechild on 01480 364 112 or please use the contact form.
If you have experienced symptoms you might think are related to heart rhythm disturbance or have been diagnosed with an arrhythmia please discuss with your general practitioner whether referral is appropriate.