For the third time since June, Lionel Richie is back in the hospital.
Representatives for the “All Night Long” singer said he successfully underwent a “common procedure for atrial fibrillation (AFib).”
This is a potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat that can raise risk of blood clots and stroke.
As a result, the star canceled upcoming performances with Earth, Wind & Fire in San Francisco, Chicago, and Columbus, Ohio.
Richie “is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon,” his reps said. His upcoming Las Vegas residency at the Encore Theater is expected to start October 14.
Many people with AFib manage the condition with medication, namely blood thinners, Dr. Srinivas Prasad, an interventional cardiologist at Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital told The Post.
The procedure Richie reportedly had done, an ablation, is a common procedure for those who need more than meds. Here’s what to know.
What is atrial fibrillation (AFib)?
An irregular heartbeat or rhythm falls under the umbrella term “arrhythmia.” AFib is a specific type of arrhythmia and the most common.
At least 10.5 million Americans have AFib, which can be diagnosed with a standard EKG.
AFib happens when the heart’s upper chambers (atria) beat out of sync with the lower chambers because of faulty electrical signals. This can prevent them from fully contracting and emptying the blood within, causing blood to pool and potentially form clots.
Symptoms include a fast or pounding heartbeat (palpitations), shortness of breath and lightheadedness. While not usually life-threatening, AFib can weaken the heart over time and does require treatment.
“Atrial fibrillation can be quite serious and even deadly as it predisposes a person to having a stroke, which is one of the leading causes of death and disability in our country,” Prasad said.
Age is one of the biggest risk factors for AFib, especially after age 65. Richie is 77.
Other risk factors include family history and genetics, alcohol, smoking, drugs like cocaine, some competitive endurance sports and emotional or stressful situations.
What are the types of treatment?
Doctors typically prescribed a blood-thinner medication to reduce the risk of clotting and a medication like beta-blockers to control the heart rate.
If symptoms persist, doctors may try electrical cardioversion, in which a small electrical shock is delivered to the chest that often restores regular heart rhythm.
Another common procedure to stop abnormal electrical signals is ablation, the treatment Richie reportedly received.
Doctors create a kind of map of electrical signals in the heart in order to locate the regions disrupting the heart’s rhythm. A catheter is inserted into the blood vessel and guided to the heart, destroying the “problem” tissue, causing a scar that will stop abnormal signals.
This procedure “has improved substantially in the past two decades. It is a common procedure and, for the right patients, may prevent recurrence,” Dr. Glenn Hirsch, Chief of Cardiology at National Jewish Health, told The Post. “The procedure is minimally invasive and performed in an electrophysiology laboratory under anesthesia.”
Though Richie appears to have undergone this procedure suddenly, it’s generally “not considered an emergency procedure,” he noted. “However, if a person is not feeling well and the symptoms are disruptive to a person’s life, ablation can be scheduled on short notice.”
In June, Richie cut his performance short after feeling “dizzy” and “strange” and went to the hospital. In August, he checked himself into the ICU to get testing on his heart.
After an ablation, most people can go home the same day and get back to work within the week, doctors said.
“Because there is a small entry incision in the leg, heavy lifting or exercise are avoided for the first week,” Hirsch said. “Because there is intentional scarring to the heart, there may be symptoms afterwards including chest pain or palpitations especially in the first month.”
Doctors say Richie’s age shouldn’t make recovery more difficult.
“He should have a similar recovery to a younger patient as he has been very active until now performing shows on tour leading up to this,” Hirsch said.
