Jim Harbaugh told reporters Tuesday he had two successful surgeries during the 2025 NFL offseason.
One was a hip replacement; the other was a cardiac ablation done after the 61-year-old coach experienced atrial flutter – a condition during which the heart’s upper two chamber beats 250 to 300 times per minute – in a game during the 2025 NFL season.
Harbaugh’s atrial flutter episode occurred during the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos. He briefly exited the game in the first quarter to get treatment in the locker room. He returned to the sidelines after receiving intravenous fluids and had various tests, including an electrocardiogram, performed.
The incident marked Harbaugh’s third atrial flutter episode and second during an NFL game. The other in-game incident occurred in a 2012 game between the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. He did not leave the contest because of the condition, instead opting to receive medical treatment after the game.
Harbaugh did not miss any games either time he experienced atrial flutter on the sidelines. However, he did wear a heart monitor for a couple of weeks after the 2024 medical incident.
But after his cardiac ablation, Harbaugh says he has a clean bill of health.
“The doctors can’t find anything wrong with me,” Harbaugh said of his offseason procedures, per ESPN. “A-grade.”
Here’s what to know about the cardiac ablation procedure Harbaugh went through.
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What is a cardiac ablation?
A cardiac ablation is a treatment for irregular heartbeats. It’s described by the Cleveland Clinic as a “minimally invasive procedure that creates scars to stop the electrical impulses that cause irregular heart rhythms.”
They add that the procedure can be used to manage abnormal heart rhythms if they don’t respond to medication.
The Cleveland Clinic detailed how the surgery is done:
“A cardiologist (heart specialist) performs a cardiac ablation by inserting a catheter (tube) through a blood vessel to your heart,” the site reads. “They use heat (radiofrequency ablation), cold (cryoablation) or short bursts of energy (pulsed field) to create scars in areas where the arrhythmia starts. These scars help block abnormal electrical impulses and prevent abnormal rhythms.”
Per the Cleveland Clinic, patients typically receive sedation or general anesthesia. The scars do not cause any pain or impact the heart, but rather impact the tissues causing the problem.
The surgery can take two to four hours to complete, but can go longer and ultimately varies from person to person.
Cardiac ablation recovery time
Per the Cleveland Clinic, patients stay at the hospital for six to eight hours after a cardiac ablation procedure. Patients can potentially go home that night, or stay overnight depending on their condition.
It can take weeks to heal completely from the surgery, however, and strenuous exercise is to be avoided for at least a week.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is a cardiac ablation? Jim Harbaugh’s procedure, explained
