Cardiac Electrophysiology is the treatment of heart rhythm problems. Heart rhythm is the rate and style at which a heartbeats, there are many factors that can cause someone’s heart rhythm to beat irregularly. A cardiac electrophysiologist focuses on the timing of the heart, measuring and understanding the specific beat and rhythm, diagnosing the cause of the irregular heartbeat and developing a treatment plan.

An irregular heartbeat can be caused by many different factors including existing heart disease, imbalances or irregularities in your blood, or from an injury to the heart like a heart attack. There are many ways to treat irregular heartbeat or heart rhythm including managing with prescription medication, lifestyle changes, or surgery.

Cardiac electrophysiology conditions treated include:

  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
  • Atrial Fibrillation
  • Atrial flutter
  • Bradycardia
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Familial arrhythmia syndromes
  • Heart block
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation
  • Long QT syndrome
  • Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
  • Short QT syndrome
  • Sick sinus syndrome
  • Supraventricular tachycardia
  • Syncope
  • Ventricular dyssynchrony
  • Ventricular fibrillation
  • Ventricular tachycardia

What is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist?

A cardiac electrophysiologist is a specialist who understands heart rhythms and can diagnose and treat any problems related to heart rhythm.

A cardiac electrophysiologist examines how your heart beats and what is causing any issues with its rhythm. An electrophysiologist is an expert in diagnosing and treating issues with your heart’s electrical system. They test to find which area in your heart is causing a problem with your heart rhythm.

Saint Alphonsus Heart Institute is the only hospital in the region to use robotic technology to perform cardiac electrophysiology procedures.

Using Stereotaxis Robotic-Arm magnetic technology allows physicians to enhance the treatment of irregular heart rhythms by being more precise through computer-assisted targeting and using minimally invasive techniques that allow patients to heal much more quickly.