Pre-Procedure / Post-Procedure Instructions |
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Electrical Cardioversion(CV): This procedure involves delivery of a direct-current electrical shock to the heart that is set to be synchronized or coordinated with the natural electrical activity of the ventricle, or the bottom chamber of the heart. Before the Procedure: Your practitioner will usually ask you to start anticoagulation medication, or blood thinner, for at least 4 weeks before a CV is attempted. You will be asked to have your blood work checked weekly at your local physician’s office (the blood test is called a PT/INR) which shows much your blood has thinned. Because the atria (top chambers) are quivering and not beating/squeezing properly, there is an increased possibility that you might develop clots in that chamber. The thinner your blood is, the less likely you are to develop clots. Once you have had 3 weeks of adequately thin blood, you will be scheduled for the CV. (In some rare cases, your provider might determine that you need the CV right away and will order a TEE (Trans-Esophageal Echocardiogram) (see below)to make sure this is no clot, so that you can have the CV without waiting 4 weeks to thin the blood.) You usually will continue to take all medications up to the time of the procedure. You will be asked to have no food or drink (including water) after mid-night ( During the procedure: You will be in a procedure room. The physician will talk with you about the risks of the procedure, answer your questions and then ask you to sign a consent form. You will change into a hospital gown. The nurses will place an intravenous catheter (IV) in your arm so that you can receive fluid or medication through your vein. They will place electrode patches on your chest and connect these to monitor machines which will watch your heart rhythm. You will receive sedation medication, which make you sleepy, through your IV. Large palm-sized patches will be placed on your chest to get ready for the cardioversion. An anesthesia team member will come and put you into a deep sleep state before the cardioversion. Then electrical energy will be passed through the large patches on your chest to cardiovert your heart or put you back into normal rhythm. This usually takes only a few seconds. You will not feel this, because you will be asleep. The large patches help to prevent your skin from getting irritated by the electrical current. After the procedure: Once your heart has been converted back to a normal rhythm, you will be allowed to wake up from the anesthesia. You will be monitored during your recovery time. Usually after a few hours, most patients are ready to go home. Sometimes patients will find that the skin underneath the patches will be reddened. This is much like a sunburn and usually fades without treatment. You will need someone to drive you home from the hospital, because anesthesia can stay in your bloodstream for up to 24 hours. You may be tired for a day or so, but can return to normal activities fairly quickly. |
