Electrophysiology study & radiofrequency ablation

What are Electrophysiology (EP) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and why are they used?

Cardiac Electrophysiology is really a particular procedure where more than one thin, flexible wires, called catheters are inserted right into a blood vessel (usually the groin) and advised into the heart. Each catheter has several electrodes to measure the heart's electrical signals because they travel in one chamber to another. An Electro physiologist is a trained cardiac specialist who'd be performing an EP Study.

An electrophysiology (EP) study is a test conducted to understand and record the electrical activity within your heart.

An EP study may be recommended to individuals with heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) and other heart problems to know the exact cause and determine most likely to be effective treatment. Doctors also use EP studies to predict the risk of sudden cardiac death in certain situations.

An EP study is done by placing diagnostic catheters within your heart and conducting specialized tests to map the electrical currents. EP studies are done in the hospital and carry a small risk of serious complications.

Medically speaking, An electrophysiology [ee-lek-troh-fiz-ee-AW-loh-jee] (EP) study is a test that shows how electrical signals move in pathways through your heart. At the point when the pathway is fit, your heartbeat is normal. At the point when these signals are not normal, your heartbeat becomes irregular. An irregular heartbeat is called an arrhythmia [ah-RITH-mee-ah].

Indications of an arrhythmia are distinctive in every individual. They can include:

  • A pounding or rapid heartbeat
  • A heart "flutter"
  • Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
  • Shortness of breath
  • Radiofrequency ablation is the standard non-pharmacological treatment for arrhythmias in pediatric patients. However, arrhythmias and their associated causes have particular features in this population.