There are several alternatives to cardioversion that you and your doctor can discuss. These include electrical cardioversion, medication, and pacemaker placement. Let's review these now.

Electrical cardioversion delivers a low dose of electric shock to your heart through paddles or pads placed on your chest. The success rate for electrical cardioversion is about 90% or 90 out of 100 procedures, for most individuals undergoing cardioversion for the first time.

Another option is using medication. Different medications can either return your abnormal heartbeat to a normal rhythm, control how fast your heart beats or how thin your blood is. It is important to understand that heart rate and heart rhythm are two different things. If you have a normal heart rate, which is the number of times per minute your heart beats, but your rhythm is still abnormal, you will continue to be at increased risk of serious heart-related events or even loss of life because of your rhythm problems.

A more invasive procedure is the placement of a pacemaker. This devices is a small machine that can be placed inside your body near your heart to constantly check your heartbeat. They can find and correct any abnormal heartbeats as they occur.

If you would like to have more information on any of these alternatives from your doctor please press the question button now to make your request.

At this time, your doctor thinks that cardioversion offers the best chance to restore your normal heart rhythm.