Cardioversion

In many cases an arrhythmia, or unrhythmic heartbeats, can be cured by taking drugs. In cases where that isn’t possible, a cardioversion is necessary. The procedure uses electrical waves sent to the heart to bring heartbeats to normalcy. It can be used to cure different types of arrhythmia, be it for a heart that is beating too fast or for a heart beating irregularly.

You might not be allowed to eat or drink anything for 12 hours before the surgery. You will be informed by your doctors whether or not you should be taking any medicines before the process. If you do, make sure you drink enough water.

In some cases, an echocardiogram might be performed on you to check your heart valves and muscles. If the doctor spots blood clots during the process, your treatment could be delayed by a few weeks.

In the process of cardioversion, your blood pressure will be constantly monitored and you will be given a sedative. Then the doctors provide electric shocks through the walls of your chest to stabilize and put heartbeats into rhythm. You might also be given blood thinners during the process.

A cardioversion might require several electric shocks to be completed successfully. But you won’t feel any discomfort because will be under the influence of anaesthetic drugs throughout the process.

You won’t require much time to recover after a cardioversion. You might be given certain drugs post the process to get your heartbeats to normal.

Your doctors may prescribe you medicines, ask you to follow a healthy diet. You might also be asked to reduce the amount of salt you are eating. In some cases, you might need to repeat the procedures.