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FAQs A-Fib Ablations: Radiation Risks
Catheter Ablation
“How dangerous is the fluoroscopy radiation during an ablation? I know I need a Pulmonary Vein Ablation (Isolation) procedure to stop my A-Fib. But I’m worried about being exposed to radiation during the ablation.”
Back in 2003, exposure to radioactivity during an ablation was a legitimate concern; a typical A-Fib ablation resulted in around 50 minutes of fluoroscopy time.
Today, many centers use much less or no fluoroscopy at all. Instead many use 3D non-fluoroscopy (no radiation) imaging techniques such as Intracardiac Echocardiography (ICE) and/or Magnetic Resonant Imaging (MRI). Check with your A-Fib center as to how much radiation their typical A-Fib ablation patient is exposed to, then compare it to the following points of reference to determine if you should be concerned.
| TYPE OF RADIATION EXPOSURE | AMOUNT (mSv units) |
| Average Background Radiation/year | 2.4 mSv |
| Chest X-Ray Radiation | 0.02-0.2 mSv |
| Full-mouth Dental X-Ray | 0.03-0.2 mSv |
| Mammogram | 0.7 mSv |
| Spinal X-Ray Radiation | 1.5 mSv |
| Heart CT Scan Radiation (100-600 Chest X-rays) | 12.0 mSv |
| 25.5 min. fluoroscopy during an A-Fib Ablation | 15.2 mSv |
But bear in mind, even a one hour-long exposure to fluoroscopy is a relatively small risk compared to the risks of being in A-Fib, taking anti-arrhythmic meds, and/or Maze surgery.
Protecting Yourself from Radiation Damage
You can take safeguards before and after your ablation to help protect yourself from radiation damage. Since much of the cancer-causing damage from ionizing radiation is from hydroxyl free radicals, it’s recommended to take antioxidant supplements to neutralize them. A typical plan is to take the following natural supplements every six hours for at least 24 hours before and after your radiation exposure. These are available without a prescription from health food stores. But check with your doctor before taking any supplements.
1. Vitamin C 1000 mg
2. Lipoic Acid 400 mg
3. N-Acetyl Cysteine 200 mg
4. Melatonin 3 mg
Dr. Leo Galland, MD of the Foundation for Integrated Medicine suggests two additional supplements to reduce the risks of radiation exposure:
• Egb 761 (Tebonin), a Ginkgo extract to be taken a week after being exposed to imaging radiation, 120 mg daily. “Reduced the damaging effects of radiation on chromosomes—and the benefits persisted for several months after workers stopped taking it.”
• The flavonoid Hesperidin, a type of antioxidant, 250 mg about one hour before testing. “In human tests…it reduced radiation-induced damage by about one third.”
Editor’s comment: The nuclear theory that any level of radiation is cumulatively damaging may not be valid (the “Linear No Threshold” theory). The levels of radiation received during a typical catheter ablation may not be dangerous, but may even be healthful. See
Thanks to Stephanie Fagan for this question.
Return to FAQ Catheter Ablations
Last updated: Monday, June 18, 2018
