Arrhythmias and Their Treatments
What it is
An arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. The heart may beat too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. You may feel the extra heart beats as "skips" or pounding in your chest. More serious symptoms could include dizziness, loss of consciousness, chest discomfort, or breathing trouble. One arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, increases the risk of stroke in many patients.
How we do it
To diagnose arrhythmias, the first step is often wearing a heart monitor. A monitor may be worn on the skin, over the heart, to record the heartbeat. These monitors are small, often about the size of a silver dollar, and communicate their readings wirelessly. They can be worn for days or weeks. For longer-term monitoring, there are miniature devices which are slipped under the skin and can be worn for months and years.
Treatment Options
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If the heart rate is too slow, a pacemaker may be implanted. Pacemakers have two parts
1) The pulse generator, which contains the pacemaker’s battery and the electronics that generate electrical signals
2) One or more leads, which are thin wires that deliver electrical signals from the pulse generator to your heart
Pacemakers are usually implanted just under the skin, below the collar bone.
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Defibrillators are more sophisticated than pacemakers. A defibrillator can function as a pacemaker when the heart rate is slow, and it can also try to terminate some dangerous rapid heart rhythms by delivering electrical impulses.
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Radiofrequency ablation is a treatment to help the heart return to and remain in a normal rhythm. During the procedure, doctors insert a thin catheter into the heart to target areas that are contributing to the arrhythmia. Heat from electrodes at the end of the catheter destroys these tissues, which helps prevent abnormal heartbeats.
The arrhythmias that are treated with this procedure can include supraventricular tachycardias, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, and atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common of these conditions, and ablation to treat that arrhythmia represents a significant advance in its treatment.
Many arrhythmias are not serious, and are not treated. In other cases, your doctor may elect to use medicines to control the arrhythmias or perform one of the listed procedures.
Services we offer
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Stress Testing
Exercise and chemical stress testing to assess for blockages and assessment of heart strength by gated blood pool scanning.
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Sleep Apnea and Sleep Studies
Diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and related diseases.
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Catheterization and Stenting
Diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease including cardiac catheterization and stent placement.
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Arrhythmias and their treatments
Diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias including pacemaker and defibrillator placement and ablation procedures.
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Echocardiography
Cardiac ultrasound to visualize the heart using additional advanced techniques such as bubble or definity contrast as needed. Transesophageal ultrasound performed in the hospital as an outpatient procedure.
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Vascular Ultrasound
Evaluation of the carotid arteries and blood vessels of the abdomen, kidneys and legs.