Your body relies on your heart beating at a regular rate and rhythm to supply the blood it needs to sustain health. A temporary uptick in how quickly your heart beats or a bobble in the rhythm is easily overlooked. However, a persistently irregular rate and rhythm can be quite dangerous.
When evaluating your cardiovascular health, your heart’s rhythm is one of the many factors our specialists at Premier Cardiology Consultants in New York consider. Here’s more information from our team about the benefits of an electrophysiology study and what to expect during the test.
An electrical signal, produced naturally in a small area of specialized cells (pacemaker cells) in the upper right heart chamber, triggers timed contractions of the four chamber walls, producing the pumping action known as your heartbeat.
An EPS helps us map the heart’s electrical activity to determine if and where the signal becomes jumbled, leading to arrhythmias.
Your cardiologist may recommend an electrophysiology study (EPS) for several reasons, including:
An EPS helps us determine the type and location of unexplained palpitations, dizziness, fainting (syncope), or irregular heartbeats.
An EPS can assess the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias, especially after a heart attack or with certain heart conditions.
An EPS can help assess whether an implantable device (pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator, ICD) is necessary.
If medications aren't controlling a heart rhythm problem, an EPS can determine if procedures like catheter ablation (which destroys abnormal electrical pathways) might be effective.
For individuals taking anti-arrhythmic drugs, an EPS can test whether the medication is effectively controlling the rhythm disorder.
Your experience may vary slightly depending on the reasons for the study and your overall health. Generally, however, here’s what to expect before, during, and after EPS:
Your Premier Cardiology Consultants team provides specific instructions on preparing for an EPS. Generally, however, you’ll likely need to avoid eating or drinking for several hours before the test.
Never stop medication without a physician’s direction, but we may ask you to temporarily pause supplements or medications that could interfere with test results.
Because you will receive a sedative to help you relax during the study, you must arrange for transportation home after the procedure.
An EP study is performed in a specialized hospital lab (electrophysiology lab) and includes several steps:
We’ll start by cleansing and numbing the area where the catheter is inserted, usually the groin, neck, or wrist. Once the pre-procedure sedation takes effect, usually given via IV, your specialist inserts a thin, flexible tube (catheter) into a vein and guides it to your heart using X-ray imaging.
Small wires contained in the catheter record the heart’s electrical signals. During this part of the test, your provider may stimulate your heart to assess its response and pinpoint any irregularities.
During the study, we may perform treatments such as catheter ablation (which destroys the problematic or misfiring tissue) if we detect arrhythmia.
We’ll monitor you closely for a few hours in a recovery area before discharging you home. You may have mild discomfort and bruising at the insertion site for a few days.
We usually recommend avoiding strenuous activities for a few days afterward, but most individuals return to routine activities within 1-2 days of EPS. Keep in mind, however, that EPS findings may require changes in medications, activity levels, or dietary habits.
Schedule an evaluation at Premier Cardiology Consultants today, or contact us for more information about our services, including EPS.
