Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Charger stands on the field prior to the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on January 11, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES (FOX 9) - Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is having a hip replacement and a heart procedure during the offseason.
Harbaugh to have cardiac ablation
Among Harbaugh's offseason plans are to have an ablation to treat an irregular heart rhythm.
The backstory:
He experienced an irregular heartbeat in the first half of LA's 23-16 win at Denver on Oct. 13, 2024. He briefly entered the medical tent before heading to the locker room, where he had his pulse and an EKG taken and received an IV and magnesium. He then returned to the sideline after the EKG showed his heart had returned to a normal rhythm.
Harbaugh, 61, said in October he had dealt with atrial flutter for years, which can cause the heart to beat too quickly. After seeing a cardiologist, he wore a heart monitor for two weeks and took a blood thinner.
He'll soon undergo a cardiac ablation, which will be his third. He had his first cardiac ablation in 1999 and a second in 2012.
What is a cardiac ablation?
Big picture view:
A cardiac ablation is a treatment for irregular heartbeats. The procedure uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart, according to the Mayo Clinic. The scars block faulty heart signals and restore a typical heartbeat.
Cardiac ablation is most often done using thin, flexible tubes called catheters that are inserted through a blood vessel. Ablation can also be done during heart surgery, but that is less common.
Irregular heartbeats happen when electrical signals that tell the heart to beat don't work like they're supposed to, either beating too fast or too slow. The pattern of the heartbeat could also be irregular.
Cardiac ablation can either be the first treatment or it's done when medicines or other treatments don't work.
Those who undergo the procedure are either fully awake or lightly sedated, while others may go under anesthesia. The procedure usually takes three to six hours to complete. Some people may go home the same day or spend a night in the hospital.
Soreness from the procedure typically does not last more than a week, and most people can return to daily activities within a few days.