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Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation
Risks of the procedure include the following:
- A blood clot may become dislodged from the heart and cause a stroke. Your doctor will try to decrease this risk by using anticoagulants or other measures.
- The procedure may not work. Additional cardioversion or other treatment may be needed.
- Antiarrhythmic medicines used before and after cardioversion or even the cardioversion itself may cause a life-threatening irregular heartbeat.
- You can have a reaction to the sedative given before the procedure. Harmful reactions are rare.
- You can get a small area of burn on your skin where the paddles are placed.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: November 2, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine John M. Miller, MD - Electrophysiology | |
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