Patient education: Alcohol septal ablation – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — 

Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is alcohol septal ablation? — 

This is a procedure to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or "HCM." HCM is a condition that causes the muscle between the lower chambers of the heart, called the "septum," to get too thick (figure 1). When this happens, the heart can have trouble pumping blood as well as it should.

Alcohol septal ablation is a way to treat the thick area of the heart without having to do open heart surgery. It involves doing a cardiac catheterization, or "cardiac cath," to reach your heart. Then, the doctor injects a special kind of alcohol into 1 of the arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle. Over time, the alcohol causes the septum to become thinner. Then, blood can flow more easily through the lower chambers of the heart.

How do I care for myself at home? — 

Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also:

●Take all your medicines as instructed:

•Use a stool softener to help prevent constipation, if needed. This is a common problem if you take opioid pain medicines. Follow all instructions for taking your pain medicines.

•Take non-prescription medicines to relieve pain, such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve). You can take these instead of opioids.

●Make sure you know how to care for your cut ("incision"). Your doctor or nurse will tell you:

•When and how to change your bandage, if you have one

•When you can take a shower or bath

•When to get your stitches or staples removed, if needed

●Always wash your hands before and after you touch your incision or bandage.

●Lie down if your incision starts to bleed. Put pressure on the area until bleeding stops.

●Increase your activity slowly – Follow your doctor's instructions about lifting heavy objects. The doctor or nurse will also tell you when you can go back to your normal activities. This includes things like driving, work, exercise, and sex.

What follow-up care do I need? — 

The doctor will want to see you again after your procedure to check on your progress. Go to these appointments.

If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will usually want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks. Some stitches absorb on their own and do not need to be removed. If the doctor used skin glue or skin tape, it will fall off on its own. Do not pick at it or try to remove it yourself.

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if you think you might be having a heart attack or stroke:

Symptoms of a heart attack might include:

●Severe chest pain, pressure, or discomfort with:

•Trouble breathing, sweating, upset stomach, or cold and clammy skin

•Pain in your arms, back, or jaw

•Worse pain with activity like walking up stairs

●Fast or irregular heartbeat

●Feeling dizzy, faint, or weak

Symptoms of a stroke might include:

●Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on 1 side of the body

●Confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding

●Trouble seeing in 1 or both eyes

●Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination

●Severe headache with no known cause

Call for advice if:

●You have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills.

●The area where the catheter went in bleeds a lot.

●You have pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or redness near where the catheter went in.

●Your leg or arm is weak or numb.

More on this topic

Patient education: Alcohol septal ablation (The Basics)
Patient education: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Cardiac catheterization (The Basics)

Patient education: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Beyond the Basics)