With a catheter ablation, the doctor places a series of catheters into the thigh that goes into the blood vessels and is advanced to the heart. Then they "freeze" or terminate a faulty electrical pathway from sections of the heart.
Catheter ablation of most arrhythmia has an extremely high success rate; however, because of my history, and length of time I have been in a-fib, the doctor estimates a 60% chance he would have to do this procedure again in a year or two. I was really hoping for better numbers.
It's a fairly invasive medical procedure. Nonetheless, I would only have to send one night in the hospital under observation and he said I should be able to resume normal activity in about a week. I am not too thrilled about having to go back on blood thinners for several weeks before the procedure and for a period of two months after. I will also need a CT scan in the next few weeks. Nor do I really like the idea of doctors poking and prodding in my heart. However, after weighing the pros and cons all week long and I think I have decided to go for it.