Welcome to the Rhythm Management Center
We offer world-class treatment of abnormal heart rhythms - close to home!
What is electrophysiology?
Some of the conduction disturbances (abnormal heart rhythms) that our board-certified electrophysiologists treat include atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and bradycardia due to heart block.
Your doctor will explain the specific cardiac condition that has been found and choose what approach best fits your specific patient situation and direct your care as appropriate for your condition.
Pacemakers
A pacemaker is a device that can emit electrical impulses to your heart muscle through leads to maintain a normal heart rate. Your doctor will decide which type is most appropriate for you based on your specific heart condition. When the electrical activity of the heart is interrupted, the heart may not beat normally. When this happens, changes in the heart rate or rhythm occur. Pacemakers are used to treat slow heart rates.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillators
The leads monitor the heart rate and rhythm, deliver energy, and pace the heart if necessary.
Inside the generator, you will find the battery and a tiny computer. The battery holds energy until it is needed. The tiny computer is used to hold information about your heart that is received through the leads and to determine if energy needs to be delivered to the heart.
Just like pacemakers, there are different types of defibrillators;
- A single chamber ICD consists of a lead placed in the right ventricle.
- A dual chamber ICD includes two leads placed in the right atrium and right ventricle.
- And finally a biventricular ICD consists of leads in the right atrium, right ventricle, and left ventricle. The technique of including three leads can assist the heart to beat in a more synchronized way and is generally used for patients with heart failure.
An ICD can identify an abnormal heart rhythm and determine what the heart needs to restore a normal heart rhythm. Your doctor programs the ICD to best fit the needs of your particular condition.
Catheter ablation
Beyond pacemakers and defibrillators, there is another approach that can be helpful to treat an abnormal heart rhythm. Catheter ablations can be an option for some patients that experience abnormal heart rhythms. Your physician will inform you if cardiac ablation is an option for your specific condition.
In the normal heart, the electricity travels in a regular, measured pattern. A short circuit in this regular pattern can cause the heart's electricity to be interrupted. The electrical flow can be blocked or travel the same pathway repeatedly. During an ablation, the physician inserts catheters into the heart. The catheters have electrodes on the ends of them capable of recording information about the electrical signals your heart produces. A machine is used to deliver energy through one of the catheters to the areas in the heart that are causing the abnormal heart rhythm to occur.
Ablation is sometimes used to treat:
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Atrial Flutter
- Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
- Ventricular Tachycardia
The success rate varies for each kind of ablation procedure. There are several variables that can affect the success of the procedure, such as other medical diagnoses that you have. Your physician will discuss the success rate you can expect for your type of ablation procedure at your consultation appointment.
Other services
- Ambulatory Monitoring
- Biventricular Pacemaker
- Cardioversion
- Catheter Ablation
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
- Electrophysiology Study
- Head Upright Tilt Test
- Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
- Implantable Loop Recorder
- Lifevest
- Pacemaker Implant
For more information about electrophysiology or EP studies, call (765) 983-3255.