Treatment depends on the type of arrhythmia diagnosed and may include lifestyle changes, medication, device implantation and other surgeries. Common procedures include an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG), electrophysiology study (EP) or stress testing. Your primary care provider or cardiologists may order different tests to help diagnose an arrhythmia. This arrhythmia is the most serious and can lead to cardiac arrest within a few minutes. Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib) - Disorganized signals that prohibit the heart from pumping blood normally.Premature or extra heartbeat - An early heartbeat, as if your heart skipped a beat.Bradyarrhythmia or bradycardia - An unusually slow heart beat and is most worrisome in elderly people.A-fib is fairly common and increases a person's chance of heart-related deaths and stroke. Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) - A type of supraventricular arrhythmia, Afib is characterized by a racing heartbeat (also known as Tachycardia).There are different types of arrhythmias with with some being more threatening than others. They can be harmless to life-threatening. The change can be too fast of a heartbeat, too slow of a heartbeat or a heartbeat with an irregular rhythm. You’ll also be given a local anesthetic around the site where the catheters will be inserted.An arrhythmia is a change from the normal rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. If you feel any pain, alert your medical team right away.īefore your procedure, you may be given a sedative to help you relax and to minimize your anxiety. You may feel slight discomfort when doctors use electrical currents to change the speed of your heartbeat. Most people don’t describe feeling significant pain during electrophysiology procedures. What does it feel like to get an electrophysiology study? Most studies take about 2 to 6 hours and are outpatient, meaning you can go home on the same day. your risk for developing conditions like cardiac arrest.whether you need a catheter ablation, which is when a catheter is used to destroy a very small part of your heart that is causing the atypical heartbeat.whether you need an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a pacemaker.which medications might work to treat your arrhythmia. ![]() Using the catheters, the electrophysiologist will send electrical signals to your heart and record your heart’s electrical activity. Usually, the catheters are inserted into your groin, arm, or neck. They will insert three to five specialized wires called electrode catheters into a blood vessel that leads to your heart. This test is performed by an electrophysiologist. If your doctor or cardiologist discovers that you have an atypical heartbeat, they might recommend for you to undergo a test called an electrophysiology study (EPS). ![]() ![]() These extra years of education give them the experience to perform advanced heart tests and interpret the results properly. 3 to 4 years of specialty training focusing on general cardiovascular diseaseĪn electrophysiologist receives 2 extra years of training beyond what’s required to become a board-certified cardiologist.3 years of training in internal medicine.In the United States, a cardiologist receives at least 10 years of medical training, which includes: Most electrophysiologists are cardiologists with years of additional training, while some electrophysiologists started as surgeons or anesthesiologists. Keep reading to learn more about electrophysiologists and what type of tests they perform. An electrophysiologist - also referred to as a cardiac electrophysiologist, arrhythmia specialist, or EP - is a doctor with a specialization in atypical heart rhythms and the electricity of the heart.Įlectrophysiologists test the electrical activity of your heart to diagnosis the source of arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and to help determine a suitable treatment.
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