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Arrhythmias
Sick sinus syndrome occurs when the patient’s sinus node is not working adequately. This can lead to slow resting heart rates, an inability for heart rate to rise with exercise (chronotropic incompetence), pauses, or no heart rhythm for an extended…
Heart block occurs when the electrical signals get blocked while trying to go from the atria down to the ventricles. Usually a backup rhythm arises in the ventricles below where the electrical signals are blocked. However, atria and ventricle will…
Atrial fibrillation can also be referred to as AF or AFib. AF is the most common arrhythmia, affecting over 5 million Americans. During AF, there is very rapid disorganized beating of the atria. This leads to poor pumping of blood…
Atrial flutter is another common arrhythmia (similar to atrial fibrillation) arising from the upper chambers of the heart. It is a rapid disorganized heart rhythm usually arising from a large short-circuit in the electrical wiring of the atria. This leads…
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) refers to abnormal regular rapid heart rhythms that originate in the upper chambers of heart. There are many causes but usually this is caused by an abnormal circuit in the heart (i.e. reentry) or by irritable heart…
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) are abnormal rapid heart rhythms that originate from the lower heart chambers of the heart. It usually occurs in patients with previous heart attacks or abnormal heart muscle (i.e. cardiomyopathy), though rarely it…
PACs/PVCs PACs (premature atrial complexes) are extra beats that arise from the atria. PVCs (premature ventricular complexes) are extra beats that arise from the ventricles. They can occur in either a normal heart or a diseased heart. Though most patients…
Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness. The diagnosis of the cause of syncope can be complicated and may require an assessment by a cardiac electrophysiologist. Non-invasive tests, such as tilt table studies, Holter monitors, and event/loop recorders are often…