Electrophysiology Procedures
If you have a heart rhythm abnormality, known as an arrhythmia, we may recommend a procedure either to implant a device or to permanently repair the abnormality that is causing the problem. Such treatments are performed in an electrophysiology lab by cardiologists who specialize in these procedures.
Emerson Cardiovascular Associates refers patients for electrophysiology (EP) testing and certain procedures. Common procedures include:
Implantation of a pacemaker: This small electronic device provides effective treatment for a slow heartbeat. . . . More
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD): If you have been diagnosed with a fast heart rhythm, an ICD can prevent you from having a life-threatening event . . . . More
Catheter ablation: In this procedure, catheters are advanced into the heart in order to make a structural repair . . . . More
Cardioversion: For some arrhythmias, this procedure can safely reset the pace of the heart through the administration of a controlled electrical shock.
Pacemakers
There are many reasons why an individual’s heartbeat slows down. For some people, it simply occurs as they age. In other cases, a disrupted heartbeat can occur as a complication from a heart attack. Whatever the cause, a pacemaker can restore a healthy heartbeat.
Today’s pacemakers are small devices—about the size of a pocket watch—that are placed just beneath the skin near the heart. Implanting a pacemaker requires a minor surgical procedure; most patients spend one night in the hospital. Once the pacemaker is in place, it monitors the heartbeat, sensing if it is too slow and sending an electrical signal to speed it up. In this regard, a pacemaker serves as a backup system aimed at keeping the heart pumping normally.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD)
Certain arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) can potentially cause cardiac arrest—that is, cause the heart to stop beating. This is true of the dangerously fast heartbeat, ventricular tachycardia, and the sporadic, uncoordinated heartbeat seen in ventricular fibrillation. If you are diagnosed with one of these arrhythmias, you may be a candidate for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
ICDs are battery-powered devices that continuously monitor the heartbeat. When an abnormal heartbeat is detected, the ICD delivers an electrical shock to restore a normal heart rhythm. The device, which is about the size of a pager, is implanted in the chest. It is programmed to provide a specific type of therapy, including low-energy pacing, cardioversion and defibrillation.
Catheter Ablation
Catheter ablation is a procedure that is performed to permanently correct structural problems that cause an arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat). Ablation may be a treatment option for individuals:
- whose arrhythmias do not respond to medication or who have serious side effects from medication,
- who have an arrhythmia that can be permanently cured, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, or
- who are at high risk for a life-threatening complication, such as cardiac arrest, due to an arrhythmia.
Catheter ablation uses catheters—flexible tubing—containing special wires that are advanced through an artery in the groin to the heart. The tip of the catheter delivers energy waves that destroy or scar the problematic cells responsible for the arrhythmia. Once the abnormal tissue is gone, the heart’s electrical impulses will use the normal conduction pathway.
If you have an arrhythmia that is best treated with catheter ablation, Dr. Dyda or Dr. Tillinger will refer you to a cardiologist who specializes in this treatment.
