Electrophysiology Specialist

What is electrophysiology?

Electrophysiology refers to tests and procedures that focus on the heart’s electrical system. 

Your heart has a built-in electrical system, including a natural pacemaker that triggers the impulses that keep your heart beating. When something goes wrong along the electrical pathway, you develop an abnormal heart rhythm. 

Your provider performs an electrophysiology study to diagnose the reason for your abnormal heart rhythm.

What symptoms indicate an electrophysiology problem?

Symptoms that may indicate an electrophysiological problem include:

• Dizziness
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain or pressure
• Blurry vision
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Arrhythmias (irregularities in your heartbeat)
• Syncope (loss of consciousness)
• Palpitations (a sensation that your heart is racing, pounding, fluttering, or skipping a beat)

Chest pain is a common indicator of a heart problem. You might experience discomfort, tightness, tearing, pressure, or squeezing, along with fatigue and shortness of breath. 

High blood pressure (hypertension) can also indicate a problem with the way your heart is working, warranting further diagnostic testing.

Heart arrhythmias are irregular heartbeats (too fast or too slow) that may feel like your heart is skipping a beat. It might not be serious, but it could also indicate a severe problem with your heart. 

If you have syncope, your provider performs a tilt table test before electrophysiology studies. Your provider uses the tilt table to trigger symptoms like dizziness and fainting. The results show if your symptoms develop due to changes in your blood pressure or heart rate.

What happens during an electrophysiology study?

Electrophysical studies map the movement of electrical signals through your heart. Your provider at Pinnacle Healthcare System inserts a specialized catheter into blood vessels and guides it into your heart.

Using wire electrodes in the catheter, your provider records your heart’s usual electrical signals and then makes your heart beat at different speeds. They may send small electric pulses through the catheter or use medications to change the heart’s rhythm.

As they stimulate arrhythmias, the catheter keeps recording the electrical activity as it travels through your heart. This creates a map that reveals where your arrhythmia originates and the source of the problem.

What treatment might I need for electrophysiology conditions?

Depending on your electrophysiology study results, your provider may treat the problem at the same time. You may need a:

• Cardiac ablation
• Pacemaker implantation
• Defibrillator implantation
• Loop recorder implantation

The Pinnacle Healthcare System team provides long-term medical management for patients with chronic rhythm disturbances and those who have a pacemaker, defibrillator, or loop recorder. 

Pacemakers are tiny implantable devices that send electrical pulses to your heart to better regulate its rhythm and rate, improving its ability to pump blood efficiently. Defibrillators apply electric currents or charges to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. Loop recorders continuously record your heart rate and rhythm to diagnose potential problems.

Why does Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) need cardiac management?

EDS refers to 13 conditions that damage connective tissues throughout your body. The most common type of EDS causes hypermobile joints (loose joints) and fragile, stretchy skin. Other EDS conditions affect the blood vessels and heart, leading to problems like ruptured vessels and damaged heart valves.

EDS patients who develop heart arrhythmias require experienced physicians. A simple procedure, like inserting a catheter for an electrophysiology study, can easily damage their blood vessels and heart tissues.

The highly skilled team at Pinnacle Healthcare System specializes in managing EDS patients. They safely perform the essential testing and treatments needed for arrhythmias and other heart problems.

Schedule an electrophysiology study at Pinnacle Healthcare System by phone or request one online today.