| Electrophysiology and Ablation - about 30 percent of the population at some point will experience abnormal heart rhythms. The most common method of treatment has been medication. But medications have many potential side affects and oftentimes have to be discontinued after prolonged use.
That’s where electrophysiology comes in. Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical activity of the heart. Its main purpose is to identify abnormal conduction pathways within the heart muscle that may be responsible for those recurrent, life-threatening heart rhythms.
In the outpatient procedure, a special catheter, with electrodes on the tip, is placed in the heart and abnormal electrical conduction pathways are identified. The patient remains awake during the procedure, though mildly sedated. Discharge is usually the same day or next day.
Once an abnormal heart rhythm is identified and intervention is indicated, a procedure called radio frequency ablation can be used to treat the abnormality.
In this procedure, a catheter with a heat temperature probe on its tip is placed in the heart and located over the abnormal pathway that was identified during the electrophysiology study. Once it is localized, the catheter ablates or "burns’’ the pathway, causing the heart to revert to a normal rhythm, and makes possible early discharge of the patient. There is a 95 percent curative rate.
Coronary Stents - coronary stents are metal wires, usually stainless steel or some metal alloy, that are wrapped around a balloon in a deflated state and advanced to the coronary artery blockage.
Once placed across the clogged area, the balloon is inflated and the stent expands, pressing the blockage tissue against the wall of the artery, thereby restoring the blood supply to the heart muscle.
The stent has revolutionized the treatment of blockage of heart arteries.
Diagnostic Cardiology - a diagnostic cardiologist is almost but not quite defined by title—he or she is a specialist in diagnosing and treating problems related to the heart.
Guided by symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, or irregular heart rhythm, a cardiologist examines X-rays, echocardiograms and electrocardiograms, or runs cardiac stress tests to determine the specific cause of a problem.
Depending on the results of tests, the diagnostic cardiologist may recommend changes in diet or physical activity, prescribe medication, or refer the patient to an interventional cardiologist or cardiovascular surgeon.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Program - St. Francis Medical Center’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is RN staffed. Inpatient and outpatient programs are available to patients upon a physician referral order for cardiac rehabilitation. Inpatient rehab focuses on education of the disease process and lifestyle changes. Outpatient rehab is a 12-week program that includes extensive education and exercise training. Hopefully at the end of the program, clients will have a better understanding of heart disease, a higher fitness level, and a healthier lifestyle. |
