Cardiac Care:

 electrophysiology procedures

Saint John’s offers the following diagnostic and interventional electrophysiology (EP) procedures:

Electrophysiology Testing

A controlled electrophysiology study is designed to provoke arrhythmias and allow for their detailed analysis. Small wires are inserted through a leg vein in the groin and are guided to the heart with fluoroscopic guidance. By stimulating an arrhythmia in a controlled environment, physicians can accurately assess the heart's electrical function and study the arrhythmia to define its type and exact location for the purpose of correcting it.

Radiofrequency Ablation

A catheter ablation is used to treat rapid heart rhythms and is usually performed immediately after the electrophysiology study. During this non-surgical procedure, a specially designed catheter is inserted into the heart. A radiofrequency current is delivered through the catheter to burn and destroy, or ablate, the abnormal cells responsible for the fast rhythms, re-establishing a normal heart rhythm.

ICD Implantation

An Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) is implanted into patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The ICD continually monitors the heart rhythm and when a rapid, life-threatening arrhythmia is detected, it automatically delivers a shock to restore normal rhythm.

Pacemaker Implantation

Patients with very slow heart rhythms — bradycardias — may be treated with the insertion of a permanent pacemaker. The pacemaker system sends electrical impulses to the heart muscle, causing the heart to contract and maintain a normal heart rate and rhythm. Pacemakers consist of a pulse generator, which is implanted just under the skin of the chest, and the leads, which are threaded through the veins into the heart and implanted into the heart muscle. Electrical signals travel from the pulse generator to the leads.

An Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) is an electronic device that constantly monitors your heart rate and rhythm. A Bi-ventricular ICD is inserted to help the heart beat in a more balanced manner and is specifically used for patients with heart failure. The leads are attached in the right atrium, and the right and left ventricle. When a lethal arrhythmia is detected, the device delivers energy to the heart muscle, causing the heart to resume its normal rhythm again.

Biosense-Carto System

The Biosense-Carto System is an imaging technology used to help physicians perform electrophysiology tests and ablations. The system provides unprecedented views into the electrical activity of the heart through real-time data on three-dimensional, color-coded cardiac maps. The CARTO XP System also makes possible precise, real-time tracking of catheter location and diagnosis.