Procedures
Learn about the specialized medical procedures used to diagnose, manage, and correct irregular heartbeats.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT)
Millions of people worldwide suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF), a serious and common problem that is often due to weak pumping of the heart muscle. Poor heart pumping function can cause fatigue, leg swelling, trouble exercising, and difficulty breathing.
Lifestyle changes, medications, and heart surgery can sometimes help with symptoms, but because many people with CHF also have an arrhythmia, or heart rhythm problem, they need even more help to keep their hearts functioning properly.
What is Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy?
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) can relieve CHF symptoms by improving the timing of the heart’s contractions, or beats, which protects patients from abnormally slow and fast heart rhythms. While not all patients will qualify for or benefit from CRT, some patients may have features visible on their electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) indicating that they may improve with CRT.
Cardiac Ablation
A normal heartbeat is controlled by a smooth, constant flow of electricity through the heart. A short-circuit anywhere along this electrical pathway can disrupt the normal flow of signals, causing an arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat).
Cardiac ablation is a procedure used to destroy these short-circuits and restore normal rhythm, or to block damaged electrical pathways from sending faulty signals to the rest of the heart.
Cardioversion
Cardioversion is a corrective procedure where an electrical shock is delivered to the heart to convert, or change, an abnormal heart rhythm back to normal sinus rhythm. Most elective or "non-emergency" cardioversions are performed to treat atrial fibrillation (A Fib) or atrial flutter (AFL), non-life threatening abnormal heart rhythms. Cardioversion is used in emergency situations to correct an abnormal rhythm when it is accompanied by faintness, low blood pressure, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or loss of consciousness.
Heart Test
Because the heart’s electrical system is complicated, diagnosing abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias) can be difficult and requires heart rhythm experts who use special testing equipment. To find the problem, a doctor will take a medical history, ask about symptoms, give a thorough physical exam, and order specific tests.
Devices
Explore detailed information on implantable cardiac devices, how they work to protect your heart health, and what living with them looks like day-to-day.
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICDs)
An Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator, or ICD, is a battery-powered device that keeps track of your heartbeat, and can deliver an electrical shock that will allow ventricular muscle fibrillation to return to a normal heartbeat. The ICD can detect irregular heart rhythms, called arrhythmias In the ventricles. When the ICD detects a dangerous arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation, it sends a strong electrical impulse that ‘shocks’ your heart out of the dangerous rhythm and allows normal rhythms to resume.
Pacemakers
Normally, the heart is signaled to contract, or squeeze, by an electrical impulse that starts in the sinus node at the top of the right atrium. The impulse then travels through the heart's "wires," to the muscles of the lower chambers of the heart (right and left ventricles), telling them to contract and cause a heartbeat. This natural system helps the heart pump in an efficient rhythm.
A problem with any part of this system, though—either the heart's natural "pacemaker" or the wires carrying the impulses—can cause a slow heart rate.
An artificial pacemaker may be needed to reset the heart to the right pace and make sure blood and oxygen are pumped to the brain and other parts of the body.
What is a Pacemaker?
Artificial pacemakers are devices that are implanted into the body, usually just below the collarbone, to take over the job of the heart's own electrical system and prevent slow heart rates.
Although they weigh only an ounce and are the size of a large wrist watch face, a pacemaker contains a computer with memory and electrical circuits, a powerful battery (generator), and special wires called "leads." The generator creates electrical impulses that are carried by the leads to the heart muscle, signaling it to pump.
Wearable Devices
Wearable technology includes everything from fitness trackers, smartwatches, virtual and augmented reality headsets, smart glasses, earwear, smart clothing, and even smart jewelry. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of the technology industry.
Medications
Understand the prescriptions your doctor may recommend to help regulate your heart rhythm, manage your blood pressure, or reduce the risk of complications like blood clots.
Antiarrhythmic Drugs
These decrease the frequency or severity of abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias. These medications include:
- Beta blockers- such as metoprolol, carvedilol, nadolol, and atenolol
- Calcium channel blockers- such as verapamil and diltiazem
- Potassium channel blockers- such as amiodarone, sotalol, and dofetilide
- Sodium channel blockers such as flecainide and propafenone
Anti-Clotting Agents or Anticoagulants (Blood Thinners)
Help to prevent blood clots that can cause stroke. Newer anticoagulants include apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).
Frequent blood tests are not required with these medications. Warfarin (Coumadin) is commonly used in patients with atrial fibrillation and mechanical heart valves. Patients taking warfarin require periodic blood tests (INR) to ensure that the blood is appropriately thinned.
Antihypertensives
Lower elevated blood pressure (hypertension) and prevent complications from high blood pressure such as heart attack and stroke.
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs
Decrease cholesterol levels in the blood. Lower cholesterol helps to prevent coronary artery disease and heart attacks.
Diuretics
Help to decrease fluid and salt in the body. Sometimes called water pills, these are used to reduce the buildup of fluid which occurs in heart failure. People taking diuretics may need to take extra potassium to maintain safe levels in the blood.