Dolores Catania Details Scary Hospitalization & Recent Heart Procedure: "It's Been a Minute"

Dolores Catania is sharing a huge update on her health after a recent scare. The Real Housewives of New Jersey mom opened up about her health journey in an emotional post on Instagram this week. 

Dolores took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday, May 6, where she filmed a video and shared the latest after a hospitalization. "Hey everybody, it's been a minute since I've been on here to talk to you, but a little update — I had a heart procedure," she explained. She revealed that she had been struggling with AFib, or Atrial Fibrillation, which is an irregular and very rapid heart rhythm, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Dolores then had a cardiac ablation, which is a treatment done to block the signals caused by AFib. "I'm going to talk to you all about it, because I want everyone to take care of themselves and take care of their body," she said.

Dolores Catania reveals what led her to an AFib diagnosis

Dolores appeared on Two T's in a Pod on May 1, where she opened up about what led to her diagnosis. "So my heart was beating out of my chest. You know, sometimes you feel like you have a flutter. It feels like a butterfly, it goes away," she explained. "Well, it started to come more frequent and more frequently."

Dolores Catania attends The Real Housewives announce Fans at Sea at Planet Hollywood on February 25, 2025 in New York City.

Photo: Manny Carabel/Getty Images

She continued, admitting that one day, she got "a pain" from the middle of her chest to her shoulder, that would not go away. "And I decided to go to a cardiologist, and he said, 'You have AFib.' So AFib is Atrial Fibrillation, or however you say it," Dolores noted. "And you're a walking stroke. You can have a stroke."

Dolores Catania opens up about having a heart procedure after diagnosis

Because this is so risky, Dolores got the ablation surgery to help with the AFib. "They went through my groin, which is really sore, and into my heart," she explained. "And they kind of shock your heart and cauterize it. And then they're like, 'Wake up, heart. We're doing it this way.'"

Dolores is currently recovering from the surgery, which involves "taking it easy" for a while. "So I'm telling everybody, if you get those flutters in your chest, go see a doctor," she said. "So many people just ignore that."

Dolores Catania reveals what's next for her after her health scare

After updating her Instagram followers on her health, Dolores shared an update on her relationship with her boyfriend, Paulie Connell, on her Instagram Story. "My heart is not broken," she explained in the video posted to her Instagram Story. "Paulie and I are together, as strong as ever."

"We are very happy together," she confirmed, kissing her boyfriend's head.