Cardiac electrophysiology program is concerned with studying the electrical activity of your heart to find where an arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) is coming from; Alhyatt Heart and Vascular center is the only private center in the Nile Delta to offer such services.
Electrophysiology study
The test is performed by inserting catheters and then wire electrodes, which measure electrical activity, through blood vessels that enter the heart.
The EP study is performed in the electrophysiology laboratory of the hospital, where you’ll be placed on an X-ray table. A camera and television screens, heart monitors and various instruments will be close by.
To prevent infection, a nurse will shave and cleanse the groin and possibly neck area where the catheters will be inserted. The area will be cleansed with an antiseptic. Sterile sheets will be draped over your body.
Depending on the type of study you undergo, you may be given medications intravenously to relax or sedate you.
One or more catheters, which are thin, long, flexible wires, will be inserted into a large vein in your groin or neck. The catheters will be guided to your heart. The positioning of catheters inside your heart will be monitored on a screen. You may feel pressure when the catheters are inserted.
Medications are sometimes used to stimulate your arrhythmia. You may feel your heart racing or pounding.
Once the EP study is over:
- Catheters are removed and pressure applied to the groin and neck areas to prevent bleeding.
- You’ll lie still in bed for four to six hours to allow the catheter sites to seal. Don’t move or bend your leg.
- You will be checked frequently. If you feel sudden pain or see bleeding at the site, call the nurse immediately.
EPS and ablation
It is a procedure to correct some heartbeat disorders, in the healthy state of the heart, the heart muscle cells are stimulated by the electrical impulses that make them contract regularly, this results in pumping the blood from the heart to the arteries and then to all parts of the body.
In some cases, the electrical impulses are disrupted and they take a different path through heart cells in an abnormal way, leading to a malfunction in the heartbeat and lead to some symptoms such as:
• pain in chest.
• Fainting.
• Slow or fast heartbeat.
• Shortness of breath.
Cardiac ablation is a simple surgical procedure to scar some of the diseased heart tissue that may be the cause of irregular heartbeat.
This procedure is not recommended for all patients since it is possible to control the condition through an appropriate treatment regimen. Surgery is the last solution after the failure of the regimens.
Procedure details:
– The procedure usually lasts from 3 to 4 hours.
– Patients are given intravenous medication to help them relax, and the condition may require general anesthesia.
– The doctor makes a small hole in the groin insert the catheter, and direct it to the heart through the blood vessels.
– At the end of the catheter there are electrodes used to stimulate the heart muscles and determine the areas responsible for the abnormal rhythm, and then the poles are used to wound or scar the tissues causing the problem.
AF 3-D Mapping and ablation
The arrhythmia occurs when the electrical signals that regulate the heart rhythm are disrupted. This causes the heart to pulse irregularly, this occurs in the right or left atrium. This causes the blood not to be pumped properly throughout the body.
A patient with an atrial flutter is at increased risk of stroke due to the speed of the beat, which leads to the accumulation of a large amount of blood in the heart, which can cause the formation of clots that can be transmitted to different organs.
In the case of atrial flutter, the electrical signals in the atria are chaotic and the electric waves travel in several directions, making it difficult to determine the appropriate place that the doctor will work to prevent the occurrence of this electrical disorder.
And here comes the role of ST Jude NAVIX system 3D Mapping device, which photograph the electrical movement of the heart in a three-dimensional image. This helps the doctor to identify the location of electrical disturbances accurately and greatly improve success rates.
Procedure Steps:
After selecting the area where the 3D device is to be used, the catheter is inserted into the femoral tube through a vein and directed to the heart and to the desired area by the electrodes located at the end of the catheter.
VT 3D Mapping and ablation
Rapid heart palpitations that originate from the ventricles are caused by electrical heart failure caused by the disruption of the transfer of electrical waves through the cells of the heart muscle.
Procedure details:
In the beginning, three-dimensional mapping is performed by inserting a special catheter through the femoral vein after appropriate anesthesia. The catheter is carefully guided through the blood vessels. The catheter captures all electrical activities of the heart. A map is drawn on a three-dimensional model of the heart chambers.
In the final stage, the position of the pulse defect is determined and the process of scarring is initiated by electrodes at the end of the catheter.