What are the risks of catheter ablation?

Catheter or cardiac ablation comes with several risks, including possible bleeding or infection and damaged blood vessels resulting from the insertion and progression of the catheter to the heart, according to Mayo Clinic. A puncture of the heart and damaged heart valve are additional significant risks.

In some cases, a person's heart electrical system may become damaged by catheter ablation, leading to a worsening of the arrhythmia that the procedure intends to treat. Leg or lung blood clots, a stroke, or a heart attack are also severe ablation risks, reports Mayo Clinic. Pulmonary vein stenosis and kidney damage can also occur. In rare cases, patients die.