How Successful Is Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) Ablation?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGoalRisksProcedureTechniquesPost-Op InstructionsPossible ComplicationsRecovery PeriodRecurrenceMonitoring

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Goal

Risks

Procedure

Techniques

Post-Op Instructions

Possible Complications

Recovery Period

Recurrence

Monitoring

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) ablation is a procedure used to prevent recurrent cardiac arrhythmias in people who haveSVT.

SVT is a family of cardiac arrhythmias that originate in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria)—includingatrial tachycardia,atrial fibrillation,atrial flutter,atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), andWolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. These arrhythmias are generally not life-threatening, but often cause palpitations, weakness, light-headedness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and—in the case of atrial fibrillation—can increase the risk of stroke.

SVT ablation can be used for people who do not respond well to drugs for the heart. It can also treat those who can’t take these drugs or want to avoid them and the risk of side effects.

This article describes SVT ablation goals, risks, methods, and outlook. It also describes what to expect during and after your treatment.

Supraventricular Tachycardia

Goal of SVT Ablation Procedure

While medication can decrease the frequency of tachycardia events, these drugs don’t work for everyone. Taking them can also put you at risk for side effects.

The purpose of SVT ablation procedure is to create tiny scars in your heart to block the abnormal signals interfering with a regular heartbeat. A successful SVT ablation procedure can provide a long-term or permanent solution for people with SVT. This can achieve the following goals:

SVT Ablation Risks

The risk of complications is highest in older people and those with multiple morbidities (the presence of two or more chronic health conditions).

The most common risk of ablation is bleeding and oozing from your veins at the site of the catheter insertions. This can usually be controlled with pressure on the site.

SVT ablation carries a 1% or less risk of the following serious complications:

SVT ablation is a type ofcardiac ablation. Cardiac ablation uses a metal-tipped catheter, or a narrow plastic tube about  2–3 millimeter (mm) in diameter, to kill the cells that cause irregular electrical signals to your heart.

The catheters are inserted into a vein through one or more punctures, typically in your groin or neck. Then the catheters are threaded up through the vein and into your heart. While you may feel some pressure, you shouldn’t feel pain.

Fluoroscopy, an imaging technique that shows internal organs in motion, helps your cardiologist move the catheter through the vein.

The metal tips are electrodes that record the electrical signals from the heart. This helps identify the areas causing the irregular electrical signals. Your cardiologist creates a GPS-like map of the electrical activity in your heart to identify the sites that require ablation.

Ablation eliminates the source of your tachycardia without damaging your normal cardiac function.

SVT Ablation Techniques

SVT ablation techniques are minimally invasive procedures that allow your cardiologist to access your heart without major surgery. These techniques are used to destroy the tiny areas of heart tissue that are responsible for causing the arrhythmia.

SVT ablation techniques typically take three to four hours to complete. They are usually performed in a hospital.

The type of SVT ablation technique you receive depends on the type and severity of your condition. Other factors, including your age, other chronic health conditions, and the expertise of your cardiologist, can affect the type of procedure used.

Techniques vary in the process used to destroy the targeted tissue. These methods include the following:

SVT Ablation Post-Op Instructions

Your cardiologist will provide SVT ablation post-op instructions individualized for your condition and the type of procedure performed. Immediately after the procedure, you will have to stay in bed for five or six hours so the hospital staff can monitor your heart rhythms.

While it is common practice to remain in the hospital overnight for observation after SVT ablation, it is feasible for some patients to go home the same day.

SVT ablation post-op instructions help you carefully return to your normal activities. The following general guidelines are typically part of SVT ablation post-op instructionsas you recover from SVT ablation:

Typically, you may return to work within three or four days as long as your duties do not involve strenuous exertion or heavy lifting.

While serious complications following SVT ablation are rare, there is a possibility that you may experience one of the following problems:

When to Seek Emergency CareCall 911 or seek emergency medical care if you have any of the following symptoms after SVT ablation:Fast swelling of the puncture siteBleeding from the puncture site that does not slow down when pressure is appliedPain or discomfort in your chest that moves into your jaw, neck, or armDrooping face, arm weakness, difficulty speaking

When to Seek Emergency Care

Call 911 or seek emergency medical care if you have any of the following symptoms after SVT ablation:Fast swelling of the puncture siteBleeding from the puncture site that does not slow down when pressure is appliedPain or discomfort in your chest that moves into your jaw, neck, or armDrooping face, arm weakness, difficulty speaking

Call 911 or seek emergency medical care if you have any of the following symptoms after SVT ablation:

Recovery Period for SVT Ablation

The ablated areas of tissue inside your heart may take up to eight weeks to heal. In the first few weeks after SVT ablation, you may experience the following symptoms:

Research indicates that people who have this procedure report a high rate of satisfaction with regard to symptom treatment. In a study group of people treated with SVT ablation, 74.1% perceived the treatment as successful, 15.7% said it was partly successful and only 9.6% thought their procedure was unsuccessful.

Does SVT Return After Ablation?

The initial success rate of SVT ablation is more than 90%. Research indicates that ablation stops SVT in about 93 to 97 people out of 100. That means that ablation may not work for 3% to 7% of people treated. The success rate for ablating atrial fibrillation is somewhat lower than for other types of SVT, in the range of about 75% to 80%.

SVT returns in 5% to 8% of people treated with SVT ablation. People who have a second SVT ablation typically have better results, with successful treatment of the SVT.

With a low recurrence rate and low rate of complications, the prognosis for people who have SBT ablation is generally good. Research indicates that the majority of people treated with SVT ablation achieve significant symptomatic improvement. However, the risk of recurrence of SVT exists as long as five years after ablation-induced correction.

Monitoring Heart Rhythm After SVT Ablation

After SVT ablation, you will likely return to your cardiologist’s office for a follow-up appointment about two to four weeks after your procedure. This is an opportunity to discuss any lingering symptoms after your procedure.

Before your appointment, you will likely receive aHolter monitor. This is a type ofambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring. It is usually worn for up to seven days.

Depending on your condition, you may also have to attend additional office visits with your cardiologist or have more tests to monitor your heart rate.

Summary

SVT ablation can safely correct supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), a cause of rapid heartbeat. This treatment blocks faulty electrical signals from reaching the upper chambers of your heart. These bad signals can cause your heart to beat too fast.

SVT ablation is used as first-line therapy or after heart drugs fail. In either case, it can often resolve the problem of a fast heartbeat with a low risk of complications.

This treatment may be a good choice if you have SVT but can’t take heart drugs or don’t want to deal with the risks of side effects. Most cases of SVT can be fixed with a single treatment. Those treated have a good long-term outlook.

16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Doldi F, et al.In-hospital mortality and major complications related to radiofrequency catheter ablations of over 10,000 supraventricular arrhythmias from 2005 to 2020: individualized case analysis of multicentric administrative data.EP Europace.2023;25 (1):130-136. doi:10.1093/europace/euac146Stanford Medicine Health Care.Catheter ablation to treat SVT.Sawan N, Eitel C, Thiele H, Tilz R.Ablation of supraventricular tachycardias: complications and emergencies.Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol. 2016;27(2):143-150. doi:10.1007/s00399-016-0422-xUW Medicine.Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) an ablation.American Heart Association.Ablation for arrhythmias.UCSF Health.Supraventricular tachycardia.NYU Langone Health.Catheter ablation for supraventricular arrhythmias.University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.Frequently asked questions: catheter ablation.UC San Diego Health.Heart ablation.Beaumont.Cardiac ablation.Bailey SA, Subramanian K, Sanchez J, P. Horton R, Natale A, Thambidorai S.Same day versus overnight discharge in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (SODA) study.J Atr Fibrillation. 2021;14(2):20200499. doi:10.4022/jafib.20200499University of Utah Health.What to expect before, during, & after cardiac ablation.Brachmann J and others.Long-term symptom improvement and patient satisfaction following catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia: insights from the German ablation registry.European Heart Journal. 2017; 38 (17):1317–1326, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx101Kaiser Permanente.Supraventricular tachycardia.Wynn GJ, El-Kadri M, Haq I, et al.Long-term outcomes after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: an observational study over 6 years.Open Heart. 2016;3(2):e000394.Ajijola OA, Boyle NG, Shivkumar K.Detecting and monitoring arrhythmia recurrence following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.Front Physiol. 2015;6:90. doi:10.3389/fphys.2015.00090

16 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Doldi F, et al.In-hospital mortality and major complications related to radiofrequency catheter ablations of over 10,000 supraventricular arrhythmias from 2005 to 2020: individualized case analysis of multicentric administrative data.EP Europace.2023;25 (1):130-136. doi:10.1093/europace/euac146Stanford Medicine Health Care.Catheter ablation to treat SVT.Sawan N, Eitel C, Thiele H, Tilz R.Ablation of supraventricular tachycardias: complications and emergencies.Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol. 2016;27(2):143-150. doi:10.1007/s00399-016-0422-xUW Medicine.Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) an ablation.American Heart Association.Ablation for arrhythmias.UCSF Health.Supraventricular tachycardia.NYU Langone Health.Catheter ablation for supraventricular arrhythmias.University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.Frequently asked questions: catheter ablation.UC San Diego Health.Heart ablation.Beaumont.Cardiac ablation.Bailey SA, Subramanian K, Sanchez J, P. Horton R, Natale A, Thambidorai S.Same day versus overnight discharge in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (SODA) study.J Atr Fibrillation. 2021;14(2):20200499. doi:10.4022/jafib.20200499University of Utah Health.What to expect before, during, & after cardiac ablation.Brachmann J and others.Long-term symptom improvement and patient satisfaction following catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia: insights from the German ablation registry.European Heart Journal. 2017; 38 (17):1317–1326, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx101Kaiser Permanente.Supraventricular tachycardia.Wynn GJ, El-Kadri M, Haq I, et al.Long-term outcomes after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: an observational study over 6 years.Open Heart. 2016;3(2):e000394.Ajijola OA, Boyle NG, Shivkumar K.Detecting and monitoring arrhythmia recurrence following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.Front Physiol. 2015;6:90. doi:10.3389/fphys.2015.00090

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Doldi F, et al.In-hospital mortality and major complications related to radiofrequency catheter ablations of over 10,000 supraventricular arrhythmias from 2005 to 2020: individualized case analysis of multicentric administrative data.EP Europace.2023;25 (1):130-136. doi:10.1093/europace/euac146Stanford Medicine Health Care.Catheter ablation to treat SVT.Sawan N, Eitel C, Thiele H, Tilz R.Ablation of supraventricular tachycardias: complications and emergencies.Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol. 2016;27(2):143-150. doi:10.1007/s00399-016-0422-xUW Medicine.Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) an ablation.American Heart Association.Ablation for arrhythmias.UCSF Health.Supraventricular tachycardia.NYU Langone Health.Catheter ablation for supraventricular arrhythmias.University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.Frequently asked questions: catheter ablation.UC San Diego Health.Heart ablation.Beaumont.Cardiac ablation.Bailey SA, Subramanian K, Sanchez J, P. Horton R, Natale A, Thambidorai S.Same day versus overnight discharge in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (SODA) study.J Atr Fibrillation. 2021;14(2):20200499. doi:10.4022/jafib.20200499University of Utah Health.What to expect before, during, & after cardiac ablation.Brachmann J and others.Long-term symptom improvement and patient satisfaction following catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia: insights from the German ablation registry.European Heart Journal. 2017; 38 (17):1317–1326, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx101Kaiser Permanente.Supraventricular tachycardia.Wynn GJ, El-Kadri M, Haq I, et al.Long-term outcomes after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: an observational study over 6 years.Open Heart. 2016;3(2):e000394.Ajijola OA, Boyle NG, Shivkumar K.Detecting and monitoring arrhythmia recurrence following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.Front Physiol. 2015;6:90. doi:10.3389/fphys.2015.00090

Doldi F, et al.In-hospital mortality and major complications related to radiofrequency catheter ablations of over 10,000 supraventricular arrhythmias from 2005 to 2020: individualized case analysis of multicentric administrative data.EP Europace.2023;25 (1):130-136. doi:10.1093/europace/euac146

Stanford Medicine Health Care.Catheter ablation to treat SVT.

Sawan N, Eitel C, Thiele H, Tilz R.Ablation of supraventricular tachycardias: complications and emergencies.Herzschrittmacherther Elektrophysiol. 2016;27(2):143-150. doi:10.1007/s00399-016-0422-x

UW Medicine.Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) an ablation.

American Heart Association.Ablation for arrhythmias.

UCSF Health.Supraventricular tachycardia.

NYU Langone Health.Catheter ablation for supraventricular arrhythmias.

University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.Frequently asked questions: catheter ablation.

UC San Diego Health.Heart ablation.

Beaumont.Cardiac ablation.

Bailey SA, Subramanian K, Sanchez J, P. Horton R, Natale A, Thambidorai S.Same day versus overnight discharge in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (SODA) study.J Atr Fibrillation. 2021;14(2):20200499. doi:10.4022/jafib.20200499

University of Utah Health.What to expect before, during, & after cardiac ablation.

Brachmann J and others.Long-term symptom improvement and patient satisfaction following catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia: insights from the German ablation registry.European Heart Journal. 2017; 38 (17):1317–1326, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx101

Kaiser Permanente.Supraventricular tachycardia.

Wynn GJ, El-Kadri M, Haq I, et al.Long-term outcomes after ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation: an observational study over 6 years.Open Heart. 2016;3(2):e000394.

Ajijola OA, Boyle NG, Shivkumar K.Detecting and monitoring arrhythmia recurrence following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.Front Physiol. 2015;6:90. doi:10.3389/fphys.2015.00090

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