Electrophysiology Therapies

Electrophysiology and the physicians who practice it are concerned with the heart's rhythm. When a heart is out of normal rhythm, an electrophysiologist has a number of procedures available to treat the various conditions that cause the erratic rhythms.

Catheter Ablation: This procedure allows physicians to correct a rapid heartbeat without open-heart surgery.

Bradycardia Pacemaker: These devices treat slow heart rhythms that can cause symptoms like dizziness and syncope. The pacemaker will monitor and pace the heart when required while collecting information regarding the heart rhythm. In the clinic, information from the pacemaker can be analyzed and the device can be programmed optimally using special features and sensors contained within the pacemaker to improve the patient’s quality of life.

Micra Pacemaker: The world’s smallest pacemaker, the miniature Micra transcatheter pacing system is implanted into the heart through the femoral artery and does not require a lead.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators: These devices constantly monitor heart rhythms and can deliver therapy to treat life-threatening heart rhythms for patients with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. It can deliver rapid pacing or electrical energy to the heart to terminate these rhythms.

Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators: The only implantable cardioverter defibrillator that has the lead implanted subcutaneously and does not require a lead to be implanted directly into the heart.

Resynchronization Therapy Device: This device helps the heart beat in a more coordinated way. A small electrical impulse passes through the device leads to the heart muscle. These impulses make the lower chambers of the heart muscle contract, causing the left and right ventricles to pump together. This results in improved cardiac function. Some resynchronization devices have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator function to deliver therapy for left threatening cardiac arrhythmias. These devices can also have special features that can help monitor heart failure.

Remote Monitoring: Implantable cardiac devices can also be monitored from the comfort of a patient’s home. A small monitor by the bed connects to the device during the night and sends information to the hospital, which can be accessed from a secure website. Depending on the type of device, the monitor can alert the Device Clinic if there are irregularities in the patient’s heart rhythm, issues with the battery or leads and if therapies have been delivered. This means any problems can be identified and sorted out quickly.