New innovations and technologies are allowing electrophysiologists to more effectively treat cardiac arrhythmias. The Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at our new state-of-the-art Shapiro Cardiovascular Center is committed to providing its patients with the latest medications, devices and interventions available.
Medications
Medications remain the front-line treatment for abnormally fast heart rates including atrial fibrillation. Several new medicines allow physicians to stabilize the heartbeat and prevent serious complications by returning the heart to a normal rhythm and, if the arrhythmias continue, there are medications that prevent the heart from beating too quickly.
Learn More About Antiarrhythmic Drugs
Non-Surgical Procedures
Electrical cardioversion
This procedure is used for patients who have persistent atrial fibrillation and involves sending an electrical current through the chest wall to “reset” the heartbeat to a normal rhythm.
Learn more about Cardioversion in an article written by BWH faculty for “Circulation”, the journal of the American Heart Association.
Implantable Devices
Patients who come to Brigham and Women’s Hospital have access to the latest innovation in both implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and pacemaker therapy. For patients with recurring heart rhythm disturbances, these implantable devices can provide automatic electrical therapy on a continual basis and prevent life threatening arrhythmias.
Learn more about the following implantable devices:
Catheter-Based Ablation
Some patients with heart rhythm disturbances ("arrhythmias") do not respond adequately to treatment with medication, and for other arrhythmia patients, therapy with medications is not as safe or appropriate as more definitive treatment. Catheter ablation (a-blay-shun) is a procedure used to selectively eliminate (damage or get rid of) the heart cells causing the arrhythmia.
Learn More About Catheter Ablation
Surgical Procedures
Open surgical treatment for arrhythmias is usually done only when all other appropriate options, including minimally invasive surgical procedures, have failed. Surgical ablation is a major surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia. The chest is opened, exposing the heart. The site of the arrhythmia is located, the tissue is destroyed or removed in order to eliminate the source of the arrhythmia. This is typically done at the time of a concurrent cardiac surgical procedure such as cardiac bypass surgery or valve repair/replacement.
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