Falcons rookie offensive lineman Kaleb McGary will undergo a cardiac ablation procedure Wednesday afternoon, the team announced.
The team called the procedure minimally-invasive. It takes four hours and is similar to two previous procedures McGary has undergone in his playing career. A potential recovery timetable is expected following the procedure, according to the Falcons.
McGary, who played 47 of 53 possible games at the University of Washington, could six to eight weeks, according to ESPN.com.
The procedure if performed to correct heart rhythm problems. According to the Mayo Clinic, cardiac ablation is a procedure to scar or destroy tissue in the heart that's allowing incorrect electrical signals to cause an abnormal heart rhythm. During the procedure, usually long, flexible tubes (catheters) are inserted through a vein or artery in your groin and threaded to your heart to deliver energy in the form of heat or extreme cold to modify the tissues that cause an arrhythmia.
McGary left practice on Tuesday with what the team described as an illness.
McGary, who’s in a battle with Ty Sambrailo for the starting right tackle spot, was selected in the first round (31st overall) of the NFL draft.
After the draft, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff was asked if the team was comfortable with McGary’s previous heart procedures.
“Yes, we were,” Dimitroff said at the post-draft press conference.
McGary's heart problems first started in high school, according to the Seattle Times.
His heart arrhythmia caused him to lose consciousness while playing in a basketball game at Fife High School in January of 2013.
There were three subsequent procedures, according to the Times.
Dr. Kimberly Harmon, University of Washington head team physician, said McGary was “thoroughly” evaluated by the specialists and noted that he went through regular checkups.
“Above and beyond what we put the other kids through,” Harmon told the Times.
Harmon contended that McGary’s issues were and are not life-threatening, but said “just performance-limiting.”
McGary was signed to a four-year, $10.2 million deal on May 10. A total of $9.1 million of the deal was guaranteed.
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